Blossoming in the Dark
by Indochine
Summary: It is the story of a family cursed by its own name with a fate that cannot be changed, not by the mother and not by her children. "It's like you're in love with Death, m' Lord, you and all your predecessors! And they tell me it's nothing to laugh about !" Is it unfair? Unfortunately. Is it interesting? For someone, yes it definitely is...
1. Claudia and Death

_Here goes nothing._

_Hi guys. I don't actually know what the hell I'm doing._

_So, here's a multi chaptered story containing all my heacanons about Claudia Phantomhive and Vincent and Frances' past. You can also see that as Vincent kind of watching his record the day he dies (mostly Vincent's POV but sometimes also Frances'). The first chapter isn't really developed because when you're young things don't appear as quickly than when you're aging, and I think maybe you'll see it in the writing style. _Maybe.

_Anyway, I'm not saying any of this is canon but that's how I see their past. Of course since it's the Phantomhive family we're talking about, things aren't cute and funny._

_I hope you'll enjoy the story._

Please **note** that in this story Frances is **Vincent's younger sister** because in my country the official translation presented Frances as "the previous earl's younger sister" (and the English group who translated the hunting chapter had done several mistakes before so I'm keeping my official translation as the accurate one).

_**Disclaimer: Any characters you can recognize from the original story are the property of Yana Toboso.** _

* * *

**Blossoming in the Dark**

_Chapter 1 : Claudia and Death_

Death is a given in the Phantomhive family, or so it would seem.

It was something Vincent could remember hearing since his childhood, but it took him some time to fully understand what it meant.

* * *

He's three, and his memory is working well now. Frances is very little, she has beautiful blond hair and green eyes contrasting with his raven hair and brown eyes, but Mother likes to sing to them both when they're about to sleep. She sings to Vincent that he has a duty as a brother to his sister, that he has to protect her.

Since he's three, he doesn't understand why his baby sister would need his protection since Mother and Father are around, but he's pleased to hear that Mother trusts him with something so important, so he says yes.

* * *

He's five, and Mother is still singing to make him sleep. Frances is growing fast and she talks almost as well as him.  
Vincent likes when Mother sings to him, or when she's reading stories because it seems like nothing else exists outside of the room, outside of them three. Nothing, not even Father, always glaring, always frightening, always _disappointed_.

Father and Mother don't get along, that he knows, and he wonders if it's normal. Father never bids them goodnight, never praises Frances or him when they accomplish something new, in fact it's like Father doesn't want to have them around while Mother is always there.

Vincent knows Father is often away for work, and when Father is not there, at least Vincent doesn't feel he has to be careful about everything he does.

_(He still remember getting scolded by Mrs. Brenda, the governess, when his mother had her back turned and couldn't see what foolishness he could come up with, though.) _

* * *

The same year, they have a new servant around in the house one day, he's not British but Japanese and Vincent wonders where Mother found him.

_(He'll laugh in the future when he'll learn just how the old butler had actually tried to rob the false safe of the manor, only to be faced with his mother's gun, having to decide between dying or becoming a servant of the Phantomhive house after revealing who sent him)_

Father is not happy when he discovers that stranger in his home once he's back from work after two weeks of absence.

"Not in my house, not under my rules!"

However Mother just shrugs and turns away, taking Vincent's hand in her own, soft and warm, and taking him away, Tanaka following closely behind his mother, eyeing warily Father but not making any comment.

Father's face is terrifying the little boy thinks, but Mother's hand is reassuring so the anxiety inside him dies quickly.

* * *

He's six when the world around him crumbles for the first time. Frances is four but she notices the changes as well.

_(In retrospect, he realizes he should have recognized the signs of madness, even at that age)_

Following Father's example, Mother has recently started leaving the manor sometimes, often, every week, for a few days or so, only to come back (always before Father) with a pensive and tired look on her face. Tanaka and Brenda are taking care of them in the meantime, of course, but Vincent prefers to have Mother at home, just like Frances does.

And all happens in one night.

Mother is singing to them this evening as well but her voice is different, he can hear it. The hand running in his hair feels tense too, but before he can voice his question, Tanaka suddenly bursts into the room, almost destroying the door. He seems frightened and he's out of breath.

"My lady…!"

But Mother raises a hand, silencing him.

Vincent and Frances are very awake now and Vincent can feel the anxiety coming back, seizing his entire being, and making his heart beat faster and louder.

That's when Father appears with four men he doesn't know and a woman standing at Father's side.

Mother stands up and pushes Frances behind her. His little sister is scared too but Vincent's attention is focused on the fact that he can't figure out what Father is doing, opposing Mother like that, with all these people in their house. He looks at Mother's face, at Mother standing in front of them, like a shield protecting them and he suddenly understands.

**_"NO!"_** He yells, and he tries to grip Mother's hand to forbid her to go but she seizes his wrist first, pushing him behind her, like she did for Frances. At the same time, the men behind Father move, lunging towards Mother and she doesn't try to avoid them. When they grab her, Vincent's small body moves on its own and he's ready to attack the strangers but Father's voice rises in the room, menacing.

"Vincent! Cease at once!"

Frances is crying now, and Vincent realizes he is as well. Disobeying Father, he runs towards Mother being dragged out of the room but someone catches him before he can make three steps.

"NO! NO! MOTHER!"

But Tanaka doesn't let go, and it seems like time is slowing down as Vincent watches his mother being taken outside of the room, her face void of emotions but as she passes Father, a wry smile tugs her lips and Vincent thinks he hears her say _"I'll be back for them"_ but he feels so lost and sad that the words don't reach his brain.

And it's suddenly over.

Mother is gone and Father looks rather _content_ of all things.

But the worst, Vincent thinks, as he cries in Tanaka's arms while Frances is being rocked by Brenda, is that woman on Father's side and her smile. A foul smile. A victorious smile with hatred dancing in her eyes. Hatred for him and his sister.

The same hatred burning in Vincent's heart.

* * *

One month goes by, and it feels like years to Vincent with Mother dead and that woman and Father together with them.

They're not living in the manor anymore but in a house in London, and Vincent _hates_ it. Tanaka and Brenda are still around and taking care of them, making sure they're obeying Father, to avoid a remonstrance or a beating, while Vincent only watches out for Frances, his little sister, just like he promised he would to Mother a few years ago.

And he's worried because Frances doesn't smile anymore. Her green eyes have lost the little light that Vincent liked to see dancing whenever he would make her laugh with his silly pranks, and he knows that it's because of _that woman_.

That woman doesn't speak to them unless she has to, but she has fun finding all the occasions to discredit them in Father's eyes. Speaking of Father, he's slightly different since Mother's death, Vincent notes bitterly, as if making Mother disappear was a thing to rejoice about.

Father's nothing but the man who sent Mother to her death, Vincent thinks when he's angry, and he _hates_ this man.

* * *

On Vincent's seventh birthday, Tanaka and Brenda weren't enough to protect Frances from being beaten harshly by that detestable woman, and when he sees the big bruise on the left side of his sister's face, he realizes that growing another year in life won't be what will stop him from being so helpless.

Father gives him a mirroring bruise on the right side of his face as a birthday present and nothing else when he hears Vincent cursing that woman down to Hell.

* * *

Two days later, Vincent's mind is still lost in the grimmest thoughts he ever had of his young life and Frances doesn't want to eat anymore. The young boy can feel Brenda and Tanaka becoming desperate about them, but Vincent doesn't want to play nice.  
Especially not when Fathers stomps in the library where they're supposed to study under Brenda's surveillance, to tell them that he and that woman are having a child together.

Frances doesn't even raise her head from the alphabet she's learning but Vincent sees the triumphant look on Father's face. It's another victory for that woman, he thinks, and despair clenches his heart a little more.

On the same evening, he overhears Brenda's discussion with Tanaka when he's supposed to be asleep. The governess is afraid that if the child turns out to be a boy, Lord Phantomhive won't need his first wedding's children anymore.

_Death_, Vincent thinks when he hears the terrible words, death just like Mother. Frances and he were going to die at Father's hands, just like Mother. But he's almost glad at this thought.  
Death is where Mother is right now, so at least they'll be together, and Vincent is fine with that.

* * *

Death comes this very night, but not for them.

He's been sleeping for only a few hours when he hears screaming and smells smoke. Quickly he goes to Frances' room but she's already awake, looking as scared as he is as the screaming continues. The smell gradually grows stronger and he's sure he can feel the room becoming hotter too.

A fire, he realizes with terror, the house is on fire. But why? How? And where are Tanaka and Brenda? What are they supposed to do? And what about Father?

Frances takes his hand in hers and tightens her grip on him. Vincent knows they have to escape, but he doesn't know how and where to. When the smoke starts to make them cough, Vincent tugs his little sister forward and still decides to try. At least they're together, they have each other, and he has his duty as her older brother to do.

However, before they can make it to the door, it opens on its own and reveals someone standing behind it, someone Vincent doesn't know. A man, he thinks at first, because the person is tall.  
And it's indeed a man clad in black, with long grey hair. A man bearing scars on his face and neck, a man who smiles widely before extending a hand with long black nails.

"Come," the man says, and he has a strange voice, rasping and yet hypnotizing, both at the same time, and he lifts two fingers to beckon them closer, but they don't move.

_"Come,"_ the man repeats, his voice unchanging while they cough some more, "your mother is waiting for you."

At his words, Vincent feels his heart beating harder and Frances stiffening. _This couldn't be_.

"Are you… Death?" Vincent asks, and the man's smile grows even wider as he tilts his head to the side and _laughs_.

_(Vincent will laugh too whenever he'll remember about his first encounter with 'Death'. It's so very frightening how right he was while still being so young)_

All feels out of place, the fire, people screaming, and this unknown man laughing in the middle of it all. As he laughs though, Vincent can see the man's eyes and notices even in the darkness of the room how they have a similar shade to Frances' own eyes.

"Come, little children," the man says once he's done laughing, his voice back to being soothing and hypnotizing, the stifling atmosphere of the room growing stronger and stronger, "I'm taking you to your mother". And suddenly Vincent doesn't care anymore to know if Death is indeed taking their lives as long as he takes both of them to where Mother is. Away from Father, his mistress and this house.

When Death scoops them both in his arms, he can feel himself relaxing for the first time in more than a month and his mind becoming fuzzy. A minute later, the fire is just a thought in the back of his mind and he closes his eyes, briefly wondering if he should have more regret about leaving the world of the livings.

He doesn't hear the screaming and pleas stopping once the sound of several gunshots resonates through the burning house, as the man in black takes them away from the fire.

Frances doesn't either.

Because Claudia Phantomhive wouldn't have allowed them to and it just so happens…

_(But again he won't know of this until years later)_

_…_That Death _sometimes_ liked to do as Claudia Phantomhive wanted.

* * *

The next morning, Vincent wakes up to his old room in their manor, away from London and the other house, Frances sleeping in his bed next to him, and… he blinks several times to make sure he isn't dreaming, but…

_…Mother _is seating in the comfortable armchair facing his bed, where she would always sit _before_ to make sure he was properly asleep before leaving his room for the night. So Death had been telling the truth in the end…

He wants to cry but there is something he needs to know first, because he's not sure how he's still supposed to be breathing.

"Mother… are we dead?"

He clearly sees his mother raising an eyebrow, a half smile dancing on her lips so early in the day, and that's when he knows they're not.

He wants to ask how or why but not _now_.

_Now_ is the time he's ready to jump out of his bed, to run towards her, to lose himself in her dress and her perfume, her soft hands patting his head gently, but he can't stop the next question coming out of his mouth before he even takes a single step.

"And Father…?"

The smile on her mother's lips disappears in just a second, and Vincent can feel her eyes staring at him, and he wonders if he made her angry. He's not sure he even wants to know, he doesn't know what to feel if what he thinks is true, and after a moment that felt like a very long time, Mother blinks several times and she lets out a sigh.

"He doesn't need to be mentioned ever again. I don't want you to."

And Vincent has spent enough time with just his father in the last month that he knows it's an order he'll _never _disobey.

Frances wakes up at this precise moment, probably upon hearing Mother's voice, and she seems content too, her blond hair looking like the sun and her fiery green eyes shining with happiness for the first time ever in a month.

And, when a few minutes later Miss Brenda pushes the door open, Tanaka following closely behind her, they don't go further in when their eyes land on the scene unfolding in front of them : Lady Phantomhive smiling, her children with tears of joy in their eyes, clinging onto her, as she tries to hold them both. As if nothing happened.

However their eyes aren't fooled, picking up the details the children can't see yet, like the scars on her hands and the side of her neck, and the one they can imagine, probably the biggest one, residing in her heart and soul, already showing in her eyes.

Still they leave the room quietly, leaving mother and children alone.

They're together now, and that's what matters.

The questions would come later.

* * *

_Hope you did enjoy the first chapter. Leave a review with your thoughts/theories if you can, I always answer. :)_

_I actually think that maybe Claudia's fate was similar to Ciel in some way. Also, I hope I could manage to show a difference in the writing style between the time when Vincent was really young and didn't really understand how things were and how he learnt slowly to be more critical, even at such a young age. _

_Other than that, hmm, try to guess what happened to her? :) _

**_I also wanted to thank _spiffydorksarah_,_ Ten-faced_ and _Dragonna_ for always writing amazing stories and discussing headcanons and theories with me! You guys gave me motivation for writing this story! (Go read their stories guys!)_**

_Take care and see you soon!_


	2. Vincent and Frances, childhood

_Hi, here is the second chapter on I-don't-know-how-many-chapters. At first it was supposed to be a one shot then a 3 chapters story and now I've planned five. Urk, that's totally something I always do._

_Sorry for rambling, anyway here goes for another chapter I hope you'll enjoy! :)_

_**Disclaimer: Any characters you can recognize from the original story are the property of Yana Toboso.**_

* * *

**Blossoming in the Dark**

_Chapter __2 : Vincent and Frances, childhood_

The same year, the year Vincent is seven, is at first the year Mother is home again, and they're all back to living in the Phantomhive manor, with days spent happily, composed of Frances learning to read, him finding out what all the books in the library are about and the two of them trying to waltz with each other under Mrs. Brenda's surveillance. Father is never mentioned, just like Mother wanted, so all seem to be good in their own little world.  
When half that year has passed though, Vincent realizes that Mother has started going out again, for work she says, while Frances and he would stay home with Mrs. Brenda and Tanaka. Sometimes she doesn't come home for half a week and her children can't understand what's taking their mother away from them.

_(They're too young to realize what's happening yet, and in the future he'll sometimes wish to never have reached the truth)_

He often wonders who or what protects Mother out of the manor but he never finds a possible answer, since Tanaka, the only man around the house, mostly stays with them at home.

Still, each day is spent less happily than the previous one when Mother is away, and Frances and he are worried for her, always wondering if she will be back soon.

She always is, but by the time he has entered his eighth year, she doesn't smile very much anymore.

* * *

The day Frances turns seven (and he's above nine), they meet with 'Death' for the second time and he's exactly how Vincent remembers him to be. Tall with long grey hair, black clothes, black nails and a strange smile, and when he appears for the first time in the main hall of the manor, uninvited, Brenda and Tanaka almost have a heart attack before rushing to protect them from the intruder.

Mother's voice rises in the room and a bloodbath is avoided, which sends 'Death' into laughing loudly at the servants' loyalty towards their Lady.

Still, now that he's seeing him in broad day light, Vincent thinks the man in front of him is definitely very peculiar, and that is quite an understatement. Then, Mother leads the guest into the garden for tea, and Vincent and Frances follow closely, while Tanaka stands on guard right behind them.

The curiosity is building up inside Vincent's mind, but he doesn't want to seem disrespectful. He remembers how that man took them back to Mother, and if anything, surely he helped Mother in the past too, so Vincent has to at least stay polite.

However once they are all sitting down around the table, the young boy can't help himself and there isn't a shred of timidity in his voice.

"Who are you?"

_"Vincent!"_ His mother hisses, "Don't be rude!" But the stranger laughs his strange laughter and shakes his head.

"Don't you know the answer already?" 'Death' says, before turning to Lady Phantomhive, "He called me _'Death'_ on that night." His mother raises her eyebrows and then throws a curious look at Vincent. The young boy waits for a remonstrance but none is heard.

Then the man reaches inside his long coat, pulling out a jar full of candies in weird shapes, (Vincent isn't sure but he thinks maybe they're bone shaped) before offering some at Frances who hasn't said a word since the very beginning. Frances hesitates at first but, after an encouraging nod from her mother, shyly extends a hand to take one. Vincent is next and their mother is the last one to help herself.

That's when 'Death' finally decides to answer Vincent's previous question.

"I'm an Undertaker," he says.

But that doesn't explain anything for Vincent.

* * *

After that, the Undertaker comes back often, almost once every two weeks, and it's also a time when Mother doesn't often leave the house. She sleeps a lot and doesn't like to be bothered but she still doesn't smile.

At each visit of the Undertaker, Vincent learns of many things, the first thing being that the Undertaker will answer everything as long as he's laughing in return. And even while still being so young, the boy keeps on noticing how the man has eyes similar to Frances'.

One day, when they were having tea in the gardens again, Vincent unconsciously wonders why out loud. Frances is surprised by his question, and so is the Undertaker but it's his mother's reaction that he doesn't understand. She clearly stiffens as if he asked something particularly outrageous. The precise moment he starts cowering in fear of her anger, the Undertaker's voice rises, and he can _see_ his mother's tamper cooling down.

The strange man asks for the Tanaka's eye color and when Vincent says brown, while realizing at the same time that he can't remember Father's eye color, he thinks he understands what the point is, even if it doesn't explain Mother's reaction.

"Humans are all the same," the Undertaker then says, "there are no real differences between them."

This time, Vincent is not sure he understood, but he stays quiet upon seeing the shadow of a smile on his mother's lips.

* * *

At some point during Frances' seventh year, their mother suddenly decides that Vincent and his sister are to learn fencing.

"I have had the idea in mind for a long time now, but it took a while to find a good professor."

Vincent doesn't mind but doesn't really see why Frances should learn it as well since she's a girl. Besides she always has to wear dresses, and nobody can fence in a dress, can they?

His mother slaps him so hard when she hears him that she hurts her own hand in the process and that's the first time Vincent realizes just how _big _the scars on her hand are. Not that he never noticed before (actually Frances and him talked about it more than once, but they don't want to be too curious and bothersome), but the realization of _what_ caused the scars to begin with never fully hit him before that precise moment.

The questions are back in his head but he knows his mother won't answer them, so he tries to forget.

Two months later, it turns out that Frances is probably really good at fencing while Vincent is a disaster and the young boy bows down in apology to both his mother and sister for the hundredth time, and his mother thanks him by asking their fencing professor to train him harder.

* * *

Vincent turns ten and learns what his mother's work _actually is_ when she comes home one evening after a week of absence carried by Tanaka, wounded, a gun in hand, dress all torn up with blood that seemed to be _everywhere but in her body_.

In the end, the wound is not life-threatening at all, the doctor says, but Vincent and Frances don't sleep for days, not understanding what on earth happened to their beloved mother.

When she finally explains, he loses his appetite for a few days and so does Frances, but they both realize how they've in fact always _known _deep inside; that just watching Tanaka's protective side towards them or their mother slowly losing her happiness should have been enough clues, enough for them to realize.

Mother hid the truth to them for a long time Vincent thinks, and he knows she just wanted to protect their innocence and happiness, but what about her own? Frances might not really understand yet what it all means (she's nearly eight) but Vincent does (or at least he thinks he does) and he wishes to erase his mother's suffering.

"Why don't you say no to the Queen?" he asks his mother one night in the library, having wondered that himself for about a week.

"Because it's a duty that comes with the name. Do you think the people who live in the streets choose that life?"

He doesn't ask his other questions, accepting the answer just like that, because who is he to change something his mother wasn't able to?

* * *

It's been now two years since they've started learning fencing, and Vincent still can't beat his sister but at the same time his sister isn't learning anymore from their current professor. She needs opponents of her level, and Vincent needs to learn how to defend himself, which is why their mother decides it's time for them to learn how to use guns.

It's hard at first to think how these guns will be used in the future, but he tries to forget his fear, thinking that he has to protect his family at least.

Their mother is still working, still away from the manor, and they spend each day hoping this time _won't _be the time she won't come home. Vincent thinks that if he can learn how to properly use guns, he'll be able to accompany her to work and to _protect her_. And the resolution is strong enough that he never misses the targets after one month of training.

At around the same time, one night their mother brings back a young woman with curly black hair and dirty chapped hands. Her name is Maria and she's not English but she has apparently lived on London's streets for a good while.

Vincent and his sister don't really understand how Maria met their mother, but Claudia tells everyone in the house that Maria is now their new maid and will be considered as such in the future, and she never likes to be disobeyed so they accept the girl as their new maid and go to sleep.

* * *

When he's almost twelve, his life takes a turn he wasn't expecting.

He's actually better at guns than at swords while Frances is good at both, he studies properly even if he likes to make fun of his preceptors and he awaits the Undertaker's visits eagerly each time, just like Frances, because the strange man's knowledge seems infinite, his laugh contagious and even their mother seems a bit more at ease with everything in the manor when he's around. Vincent doesn't really know why the man manages where he and his sister fail, but he likes being able to see a little smile on his mother's lips.

This time, the Undertaker actually decides to stay at the manor for the night and while it pleases Vincent, Frances is more skeptical and asks why. She appreciates the older man as well, but she is sometimes annoyed at how he always seems to mock everything (her in particular), never taking anything seriously.

The Undertaker doesn't answer her question and beckons them both to the library with two fingers just because he likes the library, but it doesn't matter because Frances gets to understand why that very evening, when several men launch an attack on the manor.

The children don't get to fight, but it's not like they wanted to, and their mother didn't want them to either, but they watch.

The fight doesn't last long and the Phantomhives win the fight without any casualty but Vincent and Frances spend their next week being haunted by what they saw on that night… They realized just who were the people living in their house, fighting _for them_… Mother and Mrs. Brenda both with a gun, Tanaka with deadly blows and Maria with poisoned daggers, causing blood to spill everywhere out of their enemies. They _all_ fought, except for the Undertaker. He stood there, the whole time in a corner, eating his weird shaped biscuits and watching, his eyes on their mother all the while, Frances noticed, and sometimes on Vincent and her, never moving from his place, not even when a bullet almost got to him.

When Frances is better, she asks her mother why he didn't help but Claudia only answers he was just there to make sure nothing would happen to her and Vincent.

Who is he, the young girl wants to ask. Then she sees her mother's tired face, the bags under her eyes, the slumps in her shoulders, and she doesn't.

* * *

Six months later and Vincent leaves for Weston College because he's twelve. He cries a lot like a pitiful child when his mother tells him so, but she isn't moved. Then he gets angry, telling her he'll find a way to escape from the public school and that no one can take him away from his home but she turns his back to him and he storms out of the room.

Frances watches the argument with a lump in the throat and tears at the corner of her eyes because she doesn't want him to go either, but no one can change their mother's mind once she has taken a decision, and she tries to reason him but he doesn't listen, getting angry at her for siding with their mother.

The young girl gets sad when she thinks her brother just left the house for a few months angry at his family but at the Undertaker's next visit, he finds the words to calm her worry.

"If your mother could send you away to a safe place too, I'd say she would, little Frances. But she can't, so that only leaves you and me. Boring, isn't it~?"

It can be a lie for all she knows and she sighs.

The Undertaker ends the talk with a small laugh before calmly choosing a sword in the armory and facing her. There is a different glint in his eyes this time, something she didn't expect at all, and Frances almost doesn't avoid his first attack…

… And she doesn't win the fight either.

* * *

Life at Weston isn't _that bad_ actually…

_(That's his first positive thought about the school, three months after his arrival.)_

…It just takes some time to adjust.

Truth be told, his mother is at fault. She actually never let them leave the house. Ever.

All this time, professors and tailors were the ones coming to the manor but the children weren't allowed to go see the world existing _outside_. Oh, of course Mrs. Brenda trained them, told them how to behave, the usual politeness they were to use if they ever went out to meet with people but Vincent never got to use all that knowledge, at least until Weston.

_Truth be told_, their mother forbade them to see what society was like but taught them enough that he wasn't lost in the small world that was Weston. In fact, he's probably more aware of everything than the other boys, same age or older, because many times he was warned of the danger, corruption and lies parading everywhere. He has an open eye for all the details he can remember hearing in his mother's stories, but her teachings are lacking something important.

Lies exist, just like corrupted people and danger, but Vincent knows something essential three months after entering the public school, and that is that he's _very good_ at manipulating all that for his benefit.

* * *

Honestly, the anger towards his family takes some time to dissipate.

His sister constantly writes to him and he doesn't reply at first, until a particular virulent one that makes him shake both with fear and laughter, just imagining their mother's reaction if she ever were to read that letter.

Thinking of his mother, Vincent realizes for the hundredth time that she hasn't written to him once in three months. Frances mentions her once in a while in her letters, saying how she sends her greetings, hoping he's behaving properly and working well, and if Vincent was hurt at first, he isn't anymore. Twelve years with his mother taught him a lot and the very first thing to remember is that Claudia Phantomhive is never making the first move. Not that her son is expecting an apology, but he knows _she is_.

He _knows_ she wants him to apologize for behaving rudely, for acting like a spoiled child and probably for not even saying goodbye, but stubborn as he is, Vincent resisted. He doesn't doubt of his mother's feelings for her children (after all, if she didn't love them she wouldn't have taken them back all these years ago), it's just that sometimes she feels so _far away_.

He wants her to smile again, to be happy, he wants to be able to _protect _her, but each time he extends a hand, he can see her walking a few more steps away from him and it _scares_ him. He considers asking the Undertaker for advice, since the man can sometimes make a smile appear on her lips, but he doesn't want his mother to know about it and he's not even sure the man will answer. _Maybe he will if I make him laugh_, he thinks; but if he's really loyal to his mother, Vincent knows he won't, since Tanaka and Brenda never answered any of his questions about his mother.

_What happened to you in these few months, Mother? _

If he ever wants the answer to this question, he has to start acting _now_.

_Maybe_ Weston won't be a useless life experience. Maybe, by training on the Blue house students and the teachers, he will be able to achieve his goals: to stand on an equal foot with his mother, the Queen's watchdog.

* * *

A letter addressed to her mother waits on the breakfast table one morning, and Frances can immediately recognize Vincent's elegant writing. The temptation to open it before her mother almost wins, but she knows her mother won't be fooled.

When Claudia comes into the room for breakfast, she spots the letter and to Frances' biggest surprise, opens it immediately, as if she had been waiting for it for a long time. It is rare to see such a strong impatience coming from her, but she knows her mother loves her children and that she misses Vincent too; it is just strange for her to admit it in front of someone else.

Her mother takes her time reading the letter, and Frances watches expectantly but Claudia's expression doesn't change.  
When she's done, she puts it back in the envelope and on the table and doesn't say a word, pensive. It lasts one minute and then she stands up, leaving the room. She hasn't pronounced a single word.

Curiosity wins over Frances' confusion as she carefully takes the now opened letter and reads it.

_Dear Mother, _

_I hope you are well._

_First of all, let me apologize for my attitude these last few months. A son should know better than to question his own mother, when so far she proved to be perfectly capable and reasonable with all the decisions taken, and if I could stand in front of you right now, I would bow down and apologize for my disrespectful behavior toward you. _

_ However I am not there, for you put me in Weston. I should thank you for the opportunity to learn and act within high society, even though I miss you and Frances dearly, but I cannot in my mind because of my worry for you. For a long time, Mother, you have had to bear a painful cross, and I wouldn't be your son and heir if I didn't offer my own self to you, now that I am becoming an adult. _

_Because I **am** your heir, Mother, and one day I shall succeed you. _

_These months away from you have me reminiscing about everything you have taught me so far, and I realize that I lack too much to follow your path.  
If you expect to read about my thoughts on Weston and my fellow students, then you are mistaken. This letter is me asking you one more time to indulge in me and my selfish inquiry to become my teacher one more time, to show me the path you have walked so I can make my own, right next to yours._

_I understand it is a difficult decision to take, and a more foolish one to ask, and maybe you are even thinking that I am acting out of turn, but my demand is very serious. Away from you, I am still a Phantomhive, I am still your son, but I also am still growing up and I feel that the world is too wide for me to survive on my own. _

_Of course I wouldn't dream of imposing you anything, a son is to obey his mother always, but you know more than I do how dangerous the world truly is, and I know you didn't raise children only to watch them drown once you will be gone. But, more than anything, I want to be of some support to you, just like you have always been to me, and I cannot if you stand out of reach, leaving me behind. _

_Once again, I am asking if you will please teach me how to proudly bear the Phantomhive name, and how to respect the duties I already have to our Queen, in order to be an heir you will be proud of._

_I beg you to consider my demand, Mother mine, and I shall wait for your answer. Please give Frances and the servants my regards, I wish to see you all soon._

_Yours truly, _

_Your son, _

_Vincent Phantomhive._

His mother's answer takes a week to arrive and once he has the letter in hand, Vincent is almost afraid to open it. He doesn't want his demand to be rejected but his mother is tougher than all the people he has ever met and he never knows what to expect.

It takes one night to dream about every possibility before he opens it.

The letter says yes.

* * *

_There you go, hope you enjoyed it. This chapter is still relatively soft, the truth will come later and it won't be pretty. __By the way, if you want to offer some thoughts or ideas or theories to me or just share your own headcanons, just go ahead, I LOVE to read them and to answer! (Talk Phantomhive to me)_

_I hope I did some justice to the Claudia I always imagine in my head (again it's a headcanon but still...)._

_This chapter and the following one are the two I dislike the most because writing children growing out of their mother's influence with time passing is awfully difficult, especially since I have to make it interesting. It gets better at chapter 4 and after, I promise._

_Take care. :)_


	3. Vincent and Frances, growing up

_Here's the third chapter._

_Ahem... Sorry for the wait? A lot of difficulty for the second part of the chapter and it ended up being SO LONG! (sorry) I'm not that happy with it, so I hope it's still readable..._

_**Disclaimer: Any characters you can recognize from the original story are the property of Yana Toboso.** _

* * *

**Blossoming in the Dark**

_Chapter __3 : Vincent and Frances, growing up_

It takes a few months and a few cases before Vincent's part of the work actually becomes interesting. His mother is a tough teacher, hard to satisfy, but there is also the fact that he's a prisoner of the public school, which does not allow him to go anywhere. Still, he waits patiently for the moment his mother will finally take him with her, even if at some point he dreads of it finally happening. Every new letter, she asks him for more ideas, more thoughts on the Queen's new matter and her responses are sour and cynical whenever his answers don't suit her.

In these letters, he realizes she's different; she's not his mother anymore, she's the Queen's watchdog and she has no time to spare for a young fool like him, he can feel it. So he tries his best, thinks deeper and imagines what he shall do to avoid involving too many people and a lot of damage.

In Weston, they get to go home two weeks for Christmas, a month for Easter and another month in August, and it's when he's back home in April of his first year that his mother tells him very early one morning that he is to follow her to London.

* * *

On the same day, Vincent sees a crime scene from afar with a few of Scotland Yard's men for the first time of his life, but nothing stays in his mind except for the Undertaker's funeral parlor and the man's job as his mother's informant, and he _laughs_ with some kind of excitement during the entire ride back, his mother complaining he was giving her a headache.

* * *

On the 4th of June of his first year in Weston, nobody comes to see him or the cricket game, because his mother is away on a case and Frances is forbidden to go, even with Tanaka.

_(He remembers feeling the bitter taste of disappointment in his mouth because, even if he's supposed to be a growing young man at twelve, it's painful to watch the other students with their family when not even a servant came to visit him)_

There is another boy of his age, from Green house, who has nobody coming to visit either for different reasons, but Vincent isn't in the mood to go make friends. He spends the two days reading and trying to forget the frustration: his mother's work for the Queen is important after all and she can't be in two places at the same time.

...He waits for a sign from his family saying sorry for not being able to come, but the apologies never reach him.

_(He'll learn later from Tanaka that his mother tried several times to apologize for missing the opportunity to visit him, but never finding the right words, the letters didn't leave her office)_

* * *

His second year in Weston almost begins and he has only followed his mother for investigations twice on two cases.

The Underworld is certainly full of people deserving to confront the Queen's watchdog, but his mother is to intervene only when the Queen needs her to, so Vincent mostly spends August reading, hunting (to avoid losing the habit with guns), fighting Frances with swords (and always losing) when he receives his first invitation to an evening ball from a classmate of Blue House.

When his mother hears about this, she sighs heavily but still allows him to go with Tanaka, muttering something like knowing it would happen one day or another and before he leaves, she commands him to be careful, pressing him not to talk too much about him but to listen intently about others.

And what an evening it is; Vincent _adores_ it.

In comparison to Weston, full of shy and ignorant boys, the best of society gathered in one house for one evening is _much more interesting_.

So many people to watch, to listen to, so many secrets to learn, so many moves to play…

'Charming', the women would say about him; 'intelligent and interesting', the men would add. It's almost pleasurable to him to see how a smile, a blink, and the right words used carefully are enough to increase egos and fulfill contentment of people he barely knows.

_(It's like he knows exactly when and at what to smile, able to read within people's feelings and telling them exactly what they want to hear. It's a terrifying gift but a very interesting game.)_

It's on this evening that Vincent learns how manipulation is actually an art more than a deceiving tool.

And names too. Names are what matters.

* * *

His second year in Weston doesn't differ much from the first, he still answers each letter his mother sends and is slowly grasping the concept of what he is supposed to do as the Queen's pawn.

This time again, no elder chooses him as their fag, because he's useful to too many of them, and he doesn't mind one bit. It's supposed to be an honor, to have a brotherly relationship with someone older taking care of you, but he enjoys his small freedom (even if, being no one's fag, he has a duty toward all of Blue House). The lessons are still easy for him and somehow he enjoys seeing the other boys slightly lost when the teacher speaks, and he remembers he has his mother to thank for that.

The 4th of June comes again, much more quickly than Vincent thought it would, and he has some sort of a terrible feeling inside his heart. He doesn't send any letters to invite his family, wondering if his mother will remember _this time_ that she's allowed to see his son once before August.

On the eve of the cricket match (Vincent still isn't playing this year but cricket isn't something he's fond of so he doesn't really mind), a crowd enters the usually closed school and his mother joins them as well, however Frances nowhere in sight.

He's still relieved to see at least her, even from afar, a dignified expression on her face, and her scars hidden under layers of clothes, but he realizes she's not alone when he sees her holding the arm of some gentleman with a top hat shadowing half of his face, someone Vincent doesn't know.

Or that's what he thinks at first.

There are probably a hundred people gathered together in the school's main hall, and it takes a monumental effort from him not to _die_ from laughter when he realizes that the _gentleman_ is none other than the Undertaker.

What a strange man.

* * *

Things finally start to get interesting in Easter after three years in Weston, when his mother requires his help for a new case (of course she doesn't put it that way, but Vincent knows it's what it means). The information Claudia needs can't be accessed the way they normally would because the suspected party is quite careful. _Fortunately_, a relative is in Weston and has his age so it's now Vincent's turn to shine, and he's resolved to make his mother content and proud of him.

So once Easter vacations end, he goes back to Weston with the firm intention _to make friends_ with Roger Farlow, a taciturn boy of the Violet House, who has natural talent in painting.

It's nothing new that Vincent is skilled with people so it's not hard to fake becoming very interested in Farlow's work when he's running an errand for the Blue House's prefect's fag one morning. However, once his eyes lay on the different paintings in the room, he sees how the boy _truly is good_ and, amazed, he can't help but think, a little idea not leaving his head.

In the end, the case is solved easily and Vincent is almost disappointed by the simple challenge (Farlow was quick to talk, probably not very fond of this side of his family). His heart still swells with pride when his mother offers some congratulations (by letter), though, and Vincent is glad to realize how his mother entirely trusted his judgment and all the clues and hints he was able to gather for her.  
There is no doubt that this case made him grow, if anything he feels a forthcoming evolution in his relationship with his mother, like he's finally becoming an equal, someone able to keep up with her difficult persona. There is another kind of trust between them now, and he feels like he's closer to her than before.

_(Ha… He doesn't know yet how wrong he is...) _

* * *

Frances comes for this year's cricket game, walking three steps behind their mother, Tanaka holding her arm, and Vincent is happy. Vacations, the only times away from Weston, are the only moments he can see his beloved sister, but he misses not being able to watch her growing up, getting stronger and sharper.

She's thirteen and looking beautiful, her blond hair up in a complicated hairdo, probably done by Maria, and he can feel eyes other than his own on her, heads turning with looks of interest from boys and men of all age.

And Vincent is not pleased; she's still so young and she already has to be burdened with older men's desire. Hopefully, his mother acts like a shield and a glare from her is enough to make men shift their glaze onto someone else.

_How long will it work, though?_ Vincent ponders as he catches a few more interested glances. Frances will keep on growing up as months will pass, and for the first time he realizes that one day she will eventually marry _out_ of the Phantomhive family, forced to leave her name and relatives behind, and the thought makes his whole being shiver.

This year's 4th of June leaves a distasteful feeling behind and somehow he hopes his sister will always be too frightening so that men will leave her alone.

* * *

In August, a big painting of his mother stands majestically above the library's fireplace in the manor.

It's an amazing work that Farlow did; Claudia looks beautiful and dreadful at the same time, a cold glare making her son shiver each time he glances at the painted eyes, a younger face tainted with the same immutable burden his mother constantly bears in reality.  
Painted with a red dress, a color she never wears but suiting her so well, she looks proud, the painting giving off a passionate but worrisome vibe and at first he can't let his eyes off of it.

However, his mother is not pleased by the sight when she enters the library and wants it taken down immediately. It's probably the fact that it was done by someone involved in one of the watchdog's cases more than seeing something relatively akin to her own dark reflection, but the doubt is still there in his mind.

Vincent still manages to save it from being burnt to ashes, but the painting is stored away by Tanaka and the young man swallows back bitter words, while Frances whispers in his ear that it was a beautiful gift for their mother's anniversary.

He lies to Farlow with a gentle smile when the boy grimly asks him if his mother liked it.

* * *

His fourth year in Weston starts disastrously when Eric Hampton, Blue House's prefect for this year, chooses him as his fag. Tall, blond and an arrogant look plastered all over his face, Vincent isn't sure of how well they're going to get along.

…Especially when Hampton tells him he's very interested in _Frances _whom he saw at the last cricket game_. _

Hopefully, it's only for a year since it's Hampton's last year at school so he hopes time will fly fast.

…

A week later, having experienced nothing but boredom and frustration, he can already tell that it won't.

* * *

Christmas is exciting for the first time in three years when Claudia is told to keep the bed, a strong cold threatening her health, with a case needing to be solved quickly.

It takes a day or two before she decides to send Vincent _and_ Frances, with Tanaka, in order to do the primary part of the investigation while she's still recovering, and he is excited. It's the first time he's going without her and it's yet another way to prove himself worthy of his future title.

London under the snow is beautiful and Frances is amazed. She doesn't go out often, attending a few parties with their mother here and there but nothing ever related to investigations. Vincent is delighted to see what her reaction will be when she sees the Undertaker's parlor.

It's Christmas but the man is in there, just like he always is, baking a few candies, arranging some of his coffins and Vincent thinks the parlor still smells of chemical products and dust, with a very small copper odor lingering behind, just like last time. It's an interesting smell.

Things don't happen the way their mother wanted, though, not when the Undertaker ignores Tanaka's warnings and takes them both to what they shall investigate after they made him laugh, resulting in Vincent and Frances confronting the crime organization with his help instead of just collecting information for their mother.

When the boy realizes his mistake, it's too late and he decides to call for Scotland Yard for the arrest, before leaving behind half of the cartel's men unconscious, beaten down by Frances, Tanaka and himself, while the other half is on the run.

It's Christmas, his sister was amazing and for the first time of his life he was _in charge_.

And it's scary to realize how much he loved it, as if the word "freedom" had finally found its true meaning….

The Undertaker comes back with them to the manor, making Vincent laugh and Frances chuckle on the way back, both ignoring Tanaka's discreet looks. It's when they get down that the young man realizes his mother will probably be angry.

He sighs at the thought of getting upset on this fine day, and when they enter she's there, standing on the stairs and waiting, pale but with a firm look in her eyes. She doesn't say much when he reveals how in fact it was all the Undertaker's idea to do the job in her stead and except for raising an eyebrow, she doesn't seem _too_ startled by the situation's strange twist. The young man notices Tanaka sighing in relief not to have to explain anything, but more importantly _the Undertaker_ isn't surprised at all by his mother's calm composure and Vincent wonders if the suspicious man didn't know in advance the outcome of all this.

It's Christmas and the garden outside is almost entirely recovered by snow. His mother is finally back to her bed, sleeping deeply for the first time in days, and he goes to the library with Frances to play chess. The Undertaker is humming an unknown song as he watches outside, the fire lighting his face, and as Frances reflects on the next move she's going to play, Vincent realizes for the first time how his mother's closest _friend_ didn't age _at all_ since the very first time they met.

_(When talking about this with his sister, she'll snort before telling him how she noticed ages ago, but it's true she's always had better eyes)_

* * *

Hampton wants him into the cricket team this year, as he is told in May, saying the prefect's fag should always be one of the playing members, as he represents the dormitory as much as the actual prefect and Vincent thinks it's bullshit. If anything, he knows that Hampton is trying to manipulate him by flatting his ego and making him want to invite his family to watch him play, which would be a great way for the annoying young man to meet Frances, his true goal since the very beginning.

Actually Vincent should almost congratulate him for thinking so deeply about it, if he wasn't the one Hampton was trying to trick with his suave words and overflowing confidence, and he almost wonders if he has to write to his sister to ask her not to come. He has mentioned countless time when he was home of how Hampton was driving him crazy the entire year, so she probably already has a negative opinion of him, but who knows? Vincent shivers at the possibility of Frances liking that confident prick back before scolding himself inwardly. Frances is his sister, a strong and clever girl who will never fall for that kind of men, not if she was truly their mother's daughter.

Deciding to trust his sister, he now has to find a way not to play in that stupid game. He's not bad at cricket but the simple fact that it would go along with Hampton's plan is enough to make him step _out _of it.  
In the end, it's easier than he would have thought in the first place, and all he needs are a few insults thrown at that lonely and _way_ too serious German boy of the Green House who never has anybody coming for the 4th of June, in a desert corridor one morning. The young man doesn't really enjoyed being slightly mocked and Vincent can see how the subject of his family is a deep wound inside his heart, but he doesn't think much about it. Why feel sorry when he doesn't know him?

He comes back to Blue House with a few bruises and Hampton doesn't have any other choices but to punish him by rejecting him off the team when he learns of the fight, since he wants to keep up his image of the fair prefect.

It kind of hurts everywhere but it's his victory, and even if Frances comes, at least he will be there to divert her eyes from the game and from Hampton, effectively protecting her from undesired attention.

It's his sweet revenge for all the time wasted this year.

* * *

The annoying Hampton _finally_ graduates almost two months after, but what Vincent will always keep in mind is his crestfallen look after being _properly_ rejected by his sister on the made-up pretense that she was afraid of her feet's fate after watching the disastrous game in which Blue House lost.

He has known her for her entire life, but he is still amazed at how _biting_ her irony is and the word satisfaction is not enough to explain what he's feeling.

* * *

Five months pass and Vincent realizes too late he should have noticed the premises of the storm supposedly coming between him and his mother long before, but he didn't and when it happens, he's taken aback by the consequences of one single question.

"Mother… don't you need my help anymore?"

He's growing up and maybe that's what caused this question. He thinks he's found his right place as his mother's partner, her trust always in mind, never thinking of disappointing her, so he doesn't understand when she stops asking for his preliminary work, the moment he enters his fifth year, and goes back to investigating alone.

If anything it's a step back and he wasn't expecting it.

"You are a cocky one, aren't you?"

His mother's words are biting and bitter, and he will never forget the harsh look that followed.

"How do you think I managed when you weren't old enough to accompany me?"

And what to answer to that? It was never in his intentions to defy her. She _is_ the watchdog and his time hasn't come yet, he knows all that, but his mother still felt like taking the time to remind him of this.

He feels something breaking in his heart, and he doesn't understand what it is. Her trust? His own in her? Hope maybe? All his efforts to be closer, to release her a little from her pain and sadness, to understand her… all these blown to ashes because he approached too closely? Because he went too far? But when?

The dejection he's feeling soon transforms into anger. What kind of mother would want to place herself out of reach on purpose anyway? His heart beats faster with the anger rising, and if Claudia's little boy would have stayed quiet, her grown up son is almost seventeen and he's been too close to burning his wings of innocence to just play nice and forget.

The Phantomhives' duty plunges them into darkness, he sees it too well now, so why refusing all the help one can get, especially if it's to feel safer just for a little while longer? Too many enemies want them dead, so why taunt them and endangering the whole family? Why play with death because of pride?

He's sick of her behavior and foolishness, of all the answers she hides and he realizes that the hand of authority she had on him until now is _gone_.

So he lets it all out and tells her.

* * *

Upon watching his brother going back to Weston after Christmas without talking anymore to their mother, Frances told herself that she would _not_ choose a side in this foolish fight. Phantomhives can't be at war with each other when they're already at war with the Underworld.

Still when Vincent leaves, the manor goes back to being a cold and empty place again, with a mother who seems too absorbed by her work when she's there, leaving only a few servants to talk to. Brenda is getting old, though, and doesn't have many things left to teach her while Maria's happiness only goes to her mother; the girl is like a quiet mouse, doing her chores well and showing an abnormal adoration to the lady of the house.

Tanaka is mostly all she has left to spend her days, since her mother won't allow her to go away from the manor no matter what, meaning no friends and no distractions. And maybe that's why the older butler took pity on her and proposed to teach her a different way to fight with swords a year ago, not really asking for her mother's approval in the first place. He's probably the only reason she's not dead from boredom yet.

"Don't be such a spoiled child, young lady," Brenda would scold her when she would catch her sighing. "Young women should always be considerate and polite, always happy with what they have." And Maria would agree, always on her mother's side.

One day in Spring, when Claudia is about to leave for London, she asks if maybe she could come along, hoping that her mother wouldn't see that as something similar to Vincent's rebellious attitude. It's not the first time she asks, but like the other times the answer is no, and Frances doesn't understand why she can still be disappointed by her mother's refusal.  
As Tanaka holds the door open, her mother gives her a long scrutinizing look, neither cold nor warm, and for a moment, the daughter can almost feel the weariness in Claudia's composure. Perhaps it's because of her argument with Vincent, but for the first time, Lady Phantomhive tempers her short negative answer with another few sentences.

"Do not forget how women in this world aren't expected to be clever and strong, Frances. You are different, you are my girl but your time hasn't come yet. Don't be too impatient."

She doesn't say 'just like your brother' but Frances can still hear it and the words sting harder than she thought they would. In the end, she's still condemned to watch her family passing the front door while she waits inside, until her time comes.

_Mother is working for the Queen and Vincent attends Weston, so why can't I even leave the estate? I'm like a bird with its wings cut, it cannot get more depressing._

* * *

... It gets more depressing once Vincent decides he won't come back for Easter vacations and she only knows because he _deigns_ sending her one letter about it. Instead, he'll travel around England for one month or so and she feels like breaking down in frustration. That small and stupid feud even took away the pleasure her brother had to come keep her company.

The most insufferable is that she knows that if one of them were to apologize the quarrel would die down like a fire without wood, but their mother will never be the one making the first move and Vincent was clearly showing his own reluctance by refusing to even come home anyway…

…

She wonders if her married life will be the same, chained to her husband's approval like she is to her mother's, always asking for permission but only told to be silent and proper in return, having to carry children and to raise them to fill her days, months and years.

Then what was the use of having taught her so much?

Ultimately she's not a bird without wings, she's a bird trapped in a cage with a lock that lost its key.

* * *

She's happy to see her brother still has a heart when he decides to come home for his last week of vacation, explaining with a smile how he missed her a great deal, but their mother isn't there. Frances thinks she purposely chose that moment to leave the house for more than a week, no reason given, but it's been a long time since Frances tried to have a real discussion with Claudia and she doesn't think she would have been able to convince her mother to stay anyway.

Vincent is equal to himself, all smile and brains, with lots of stories to tell and she can only listen, having no tales to share on her end. The week is over _too_ quickly and when Vincent goes back to school, she feels _envy_.

_Why can he go, and not me?_ After all they were raised the same way, and like always before, it feels so very unfair to be left behind when they always shared the same experiences and memories until a few years ago. Of course the answer is simple but Frances turns a blind eye to it.

The days are starting to become warmer, and the young girl tells herself that maybe the perpetual stiff atmosphere in the house is affecting her as well and that's what makes up her mind.

"Mr. Tanaka, tell my mother I will go see Vincent in June and she is welcome to join me," Frances says as she watches longingly out of the window; maybe she'll be able to go out for a horse ride soon… She sees Tanaka flinching and she apologies mentally. She could speak to Claudia herself, but why bother when her mother won't lift her eyes from her work anyway?

"And tell her… that if she does not approve, she has to tell me so face to face."

As Tanaka bows and leaves the room, she sighs. She chose a side in the end.

* * *

How many months since he last talked to her? _Six_, the young man guesses in his bed, on a warm evening in July, _five or six_.

It feels quite long, and without the people to entertain him and the studies to keep him busy in Weston, he knows he would have had more time to think about their argument and maybe to apologize. He _sometimes_ plans to have a discussion when he will be home for vacations in less than a month, hoping she will be there as well, but he quickly forgets the idea because the less he thinks about it, the better he feels… (Especially when she was the one to refuse his help in the first place, it's still hard to stomach…)

Which is why he doesn't expect the prefect's fag to barge into his dorm room at this exact moment, eagerly shaking him awake and holding a telegram marked _urgent, _roughly taking him back to reality.

He's not asleep and yet he has trouble understanding the words lying on the paper. Just to be sure, he reads them several times.

_Poison… Injured… _

Since when was she so careless?

_Weak… Won't last long…_

It feels so _unreal_ because she so rarely ever got hurt. Surely there is a misunderstanding somewhere, just like the first time he saw her wounded…

_Isn't she a simple human, though? _It's a mocking little voice in the inside of his mind that speaks and he curses himself.

_I… have to see her…!_

The desperate thought makes his body move like there's no tomorrow, and well, maybe there really _won't_ be one for his mother…

She's dying after all…

* * *

The prefect didn't want him to leave but it's not as if Vincent cares if he's getting punished or thrown out of the school at this point. He's done being a passive sheep in a green meadow and _fuck_ the prefect and the school rules.

When he gets there with a horse he borrowed from the school's stable, it's the middle of the night. There are a few lights that he can see from a window or two but it's silent. He hasn't felt fear for a long time now, but here it is now, seizing his entire body from head to toe, making him shiver even though it's a warm summer night.

Nobody opens the door for him, but he sees Tanaka rushing from upstairs when the butler hears him.

"Y-Young master! Why are you—"

But Vincent pays him no attention. How late is he? Is she still conscious? Is she even alive?

"Where is she, Tanaka?" His voice is strangely calm, and he manages to control the tremors in it.

"Her bed, I carried her there. Maria recognized the poison and she says there is nothing we … But the Lady didn't want me to call for a doct—"

If Maria thought the poison couldn't be stopped, then they are truly doomed… His control doesn't last long.

_"Why_ didn't you protect her?!" His voice is still calm but the anger makes it very low, like a growl and he wants to sort out his frustration on the poor Japanese man. Deep inside, he knows her mother only brought Tanaka along whenever she truly expected a fight and it hurts even more to think that it meant she wasn't expecting any of this to happen.

He doesn't waste any more time and quickly climbs the stairs before rushing to her bedroom. How many years since he last entered that door? Frances and he used to climb into her bed as a greeting whenever she was back from work the whole year after their father's death, until she forbade them to by saying they were too old for that.

His mother is there, lying in her bed, eyes closed with a pale face and a bloody wound tainting the sheets. Maria is useless crying in a corner, Brenda is refreshing her mother with a wet clothes and Frances is at her side, holding her hand. She's the one noticing him.

"Vincent…" She knew he'd come.

Upon hearing his name, his mother's eyes flutter open and he feels a little relief. Not for long though, he has never seen her so tired-looking, so ill and he feels his heart beating faster. Why now? Why does she look so _beautiful _even though she's about to die? He knows why, it's because it's the first moment in a long time she looks almost at peace, even though he can decipher the pain on her colorless face. It's contrasting so much with her dark hair…

"Vincent…" She says in a hoarse whisper and Brenda moves away, tears rolling down on her wrinkled face, so he can sit right next to his mother. Her hand is sweaty and hot and she doesn't have much strength left, almost unable to squeeze his back.

"I thought… you wouldn't come… I thought I wouldn't see you before I…"

Frances hushes her down with a soft caress on her cheek, urging her not to talk too much. The sorrow and the anger are almost overwhelming and he tries to speak gently.

"Mother, why? You pushed me away, I could have helped you… See now, you—"

_"Vincent!"_ Frances hisses, cutting him promptly, a flash of anger passing through her eyes as her only warning and she sounds so very much like their dying mother that he almost chuckles in sadness. He turns his head the other way in apology but unexpected words make him look back.

"You were… enjoying it too…much… Like I used to… when I was… younger…"

"Moth—"

"And it…" She takes a deep breath and he thinks he can see a tear at the corner of her eyes. "Stops being amusing at… some point. I tried to make… time for you, so that you… wouldn't become like… him, and me so… quickly…"

_"Him_"? Vincent doesn't understand. Or maybe he does but is afraid to.

"Him...?" Frances' voice is hesitant, she must have understood as well.

"The previous Earl Phantomhive, of course.~" It's a slightly mocking voice he recognizes instantly and he wonders why he hasn't seen the Undertaker sooner. He is by the window, looking up at the moon and it's lighting up his face and grey hair. He has his natural grin plastered on his lips, and as usual it's not sad. However since that's just who he is, Vincent doesn't mind; it's been a long time since he discovered part of the truth about the funeral parlor's director.

Still, he doesn't expect the mention of the one they were forbidden to talk about for ten years to be spoken a few moments before his mother's death, however Claudia doesn't react. Her eyes look away in the distance, as if alone in the room but it's the only answer he needs.

How long has he waited for this?

He is wishing it would have been under better circumstances but there won't be any other chance…

"Mother…" He makes her look at him by squeezing her hand harder. "Tell us."

He almost regrets his words when tears leave her eyes to roll down on her face. Frances is on the verge of crying too.

"Do you… really want my last words to… be about hatred…? About a useless… husband and an even more useless father…? About a fate that will ultimately be… your own as well…?!"

For the first time in a year, he takes the time to really think about the answer he wants her to hear, because as far as he knows it might be her last question and her next words her last response…  
He looks at Frances who tries to control her sobs, at the servants against the wall, at the Undertaker by the window and he thinks of the last ten years.

_If there ever were a time she truly felt happiness... I can't remember it anymore._

It took him _ten years_ to notice it and he forbids his own tears to fall at this thought.

It takes him a minute to decide.

"I want them to be about the truth. Please… Mother."

* * *

The woman in the bed looks at her seventeen years old son, at her soon-to-be fifteen years old daughter, and she remembers a question she heard about ten years ago from the man standing now near her window.

_Did he ever prove to be wrong? _She thinks, but at the same time is there a more evident answer?

She reminiscies the last time she told her children a tale, more than ten years before and she sadly tells herself that, _this time_, it won't be a lullaby.

"So be it…"

* * *

_Hope you still enjoyed it to some extent. The end turned out to be very melodramatic but you haven't seen the next chapter yet...  
Speaking of which, the next chapter will be rated **M** because it will be bloody, and as you might have_ guessed_, it will be some of Claudia's backstory.  
__Thank you for reading. _


	4. Claudia, truth and regrets

_Hi, here's the fourth chapter. I added a little of Claudia's backstory (mainly her childhood, since I see it a certain way), it wasn't planned it's all bonus so I hope you'll enjoy it.__ You'll find additional explanations at the end of the chapter. Enjoy!_

_Oh, by the way:_ _this chapter is_ **rated M, for _mentions (without details)_ of violence, torture, murder, death, tragic backstory, language and some sexual stuff,**_ you've been warned**.**_

_**Disclaimer: Any characters you can recognize from the original story are the property of Yana Toboso.**_

* * *

**Blossoming in the Dark**

_Chapter __4 : Claudia, truth and regrets_

If you exclude that the end isn't pretty and nice like in the other fairytales, it can almost start with a once upon a time.

Boringly, it begins with two sons born of the same parents, both bearing the Phantomhive name, and following tradition, the elder becomes the heir and succeeds to their father.

Soon enough, the two sons marry and become parents as well. The heir fathers two sons and his younger brother three daughters and life seems peaceful, as much as it can be said about the curse the family seems to carry.

Ten years later, with a new Queen on the throne, out of the five growing children bearing the same malevolent name, only three are still alive and amongst them, only a girl survives, her mother and sisters already dead while she's still so young, leaving her behind with her father, to watch as the tragedy unfolds.

* * *

Very soon, the girl named Claudia is taught of the severity of this world when the same handsome Death God takes away three people she loves. When she sees him accidentally the first time (even though he's hiding himself from human eyes) she's very young, maybe six or seven years old, and she watches as he rips her mother dying while giving birth, her older sister throwing herself out of a window because of grief, and her little sister perishing of sickness during a harsh winter.

Three deaths in a little more than a year.

However she doesn't let herself stumble.

She has a duty, the duty to _survive _until she can marry the heir to the Phantomhive family, her oldest cousin. She is to give him children so that the family line can continue, or so her father, uncle and aunt told her, but it is not a repulsive thought, even when she's barely old enough to understand what it means, because she likes her older cousin. He's a clever boy, his parents' pride, also loved by the mansion's servants and very sociable.

His little brother is more difficult to get along with, though. Easily scared by his parents' admonitions, he only seems to be good at music, and since he's never taking any occasion to shine, he always appears as the shadow to his brother's light.

Nobody dares to say it out loud but they're all glad the youngest boy isn't the one inheriting the difficult task of the Watchdog.

"Life is never _that _easily foreseeable, though~…" Her deadly friend would say, without glasses but with his hair down and a few scars, so different from the first time his eyes crossed hers, now that he stopped being a Ripper. Enjoying his company and strange mannerisms, she likes whenever he passes by for a visit, her father unaware of course, and she spends hours talking or listening to him when he does, always relishing in the fact that for the moment he chooses to stay invisible to all but her, and that makes him laugh.

* * *

A few years later and she has to wear black again, twice, even though it's a color she doesn't like much.

It's time again for yet other funerals and it stops feeling any different than all the times before, even when it's her fiancé that she watches getting buried after her father. She cries for him of course, just like she cried for her father, watching his aging parents unable to appease their sadness as his brother keeps a stern face, staring at his brother's grave, a shiver making his body shake with the fact that he now has to take his place in a life he doesn't want at all.

With a wife he doesn't want either.

* * *

Married life is hard at first for the both of them, but it's the duty of the Queen's Watchdog that probably stings harder than all the other thorns for him.

It's tough but she tries to be comprehensive. As the second son, her husband always had a way out, a shimmering life of freedom waiting for him, until his brother broke his neck by falling from his horse in a stupid hunting party, leaving him to be the rightful heir of the Phantomhive family.

So she tries to ease his anger and to soothe his disillusions as well as she can, cradling him in between her legs every night but he continues to be rough with her, never opening himself to her no matter what.

Too soon, she comes to realize that there will never be a day where they will act as husband and wife to each other, and if the thought pained her at some point, after a few months she can't remember why she even felt pity for him in the first place.

Now she sees him as nothing but a coward for never accepting a life he can't choose anyway, and she anxiously waits for the moment she will give him an heir so she can be done with him. As his wife, she doesn't have much to do but that after all…

Her only relative enjoyment in her rather depressing life is the shop the Undertaker opened. The thought that the ex Death God decided to open a funeral parlor always manages to make her smile; at least when everything in her life changed, he stayed the same. Be it for age, look or sharpness, he's still laughing at every opportunity he's got, always speaking in mysterious sentences but he is her only source of comfort.  
It is a strange relationship, she thinks as she runs her fingers through his long alabaster hair and strokes the scars over his body. He's the one Death God who took her mother and sisters' lives and souls years ago when she was but a child and he's the only being she can rely on.  
_It's ironic and yet it's the truth_, she tells herself, her limbs entangled with his in the sweet furnace that is his funeral parlor quickly forgetting her torment and her husband miles away from here, as he makes her writhe with pleasure.

* * *

She's not crying for the love that will never exist between her and her husband, because it doesn't matter. She decides she will love her son instead.

_Their_ son she should say, but it's hard to accept.

At least, she now has a ray of light in the grim manor she lives in and for the moment she decides it will have to do.

When it's not enough anymore because the man is as despicable a father as he is a husband, she gives birth to a daughter and the happiness is enough to make her forget for a time that the anger living in her husband is not to be smothered by anybody.

* * *

She doesn't know why she takes so long to notice he isn't doing his duty properly anymore but when she does, she can't help but think of all _their_ ancestors that he's humiliating by his stupidity.

The slap stings harder than the shame she feels about his actions when she confronts him about it.

"I don't_ care_. I won't do it again."

She is nearly pushed down the stairs when she calls him a coward in retaliation in front of Brenda, the children's governess, but she doesn't care.

_If he wants to shame his name, fine, but I won't let him dishonor _mine.

She takes all the letters the Queen sent and that he didn't even open, before paying the Undertaker a visit, asking him to come with her. It takes a few laughs before he accepts to follow her as an observer. Her first case is solved quickly and she goes home with a triumphant smile on her lips.

* * *

The womanly perfume smell attached to her husband's skin that she catches when he's back is quite strong and she almost laughs in front of him.

So that was his reason; choosing his mistress before his duty to the Queen, _how foolish was he? _

He doesn't look at her or at the children on the way to his study but as he passes her, what she feels in him is not anger but a renewed pride. Whoever the woman he sleeps with is, she found a way to give him confidence and if Claudia had any sort of affection for him, she would have at least felt happy, knowing that this isn't the life he'd have chosen for himself.

And when a few days later, he notices how she took the letters, he isn't happy. Of course that makes him look bad, the wife of the watchdog doing his job for him, and this is not something he can forgive. Still she raises her eyebrows when he forbids her to continue _his_ work, before laughing outrageously and telling him to go back between the legs of his mistress while she takes care of the family duty.

This time, it's Tanaka, the man she appointed recently as the manor's butler, and who owns her his life, who stops her husband from raising his hand on her.

As her husband storms out of the room, she wonders if he'll ever give into temptation one day, and she almost wants to challenge him just to see if he would really be able to do it.

* * *

He's gone again, this time taking the Queen's letters with him but Brenda had time to make copies before his departure so it's not like he's won this round.

While he's away, she takes care of her children. They're so young and innocent, so beautiful, and she could spend hours watching them sleep and play, but she's sad to see them growing up so quickly when she sees her son already perceiving the way her husband acts, always angry and disappointed in them. Of course, he has yet to beat her in front of Vincent and Frances, but she wants to avoid a scene like that as much as she can, just to keep her children safer for a little while longer.

* * *

The next time he's home, he has a different look in his eyes, something darker, and she shivers in anticipation, knowing something really has changed.

She notices it in the way he looks at Frances, how his gaze lingers on her blond hair, how he frowns when the little child stares back at him with her green eyes, and for the first time in a while, she has a sudden feeling that something is awfully wrong. A few days later, she catches him staring at _her_ and he doesn't deflect his gaze when she stares back, and she can detect something else in his eyes, something she never saw in them before: glee.

So she asks Brenda and Tanaka to watch him, to tell her of any inappropriate behavior, and it doesn't take long to understand what's really going on.

* * *

It still happens sooner than she expects and she's almost surprised.

They are more numerous than she would have thought and the woman he sleeps with is there as well, taunting her silently with her eyes, and Claudia realizes that, pride aside, she should have fled with the children the moment the bastard came back with that look in his eyes. It's her defeat because she wasn't reactive enough.

It's too late now, though, the cries of her children watching their mother being ripped away from them clenching her heart with worry, and she foolishly hope that her husband still believes them to be his to avoid hurting them. Because it's for them more than for her that she's worried.

_Protect them_, she silently bids Tanaka and Brenda as she looks one last time at Vincent and Frances, tears threatening to fall from her eyes as well.

The four men take her to her husband and she has the time to see the woman whispering something in his ear with a devious little smile.

_So that's how it is_…_ You're _her _pet dog now, aren't you?_

"You are going to hell, _witch_," he says rather contently.

Witch?

"It is the only place for a death worshiper like yourself," the woman adds in a low whisper.

Death worshiper?

It doesn't matter for the moment. She doesn't have time to think about it.

"I will be back for them," she spits with as much venom as her voice can transmit. There is no need to say who "them" are. Her husband raises his eyebrows before indicating to his men to get her out.

_I'll be back for you too,_ she thinks as she's taken away. _For you and your bitch who robbed me of my children. Count on it._

* * *

It takes her a whole month to get back to them.

Actually, it takes the Undertaker two weeks and a half before he realizes something happened to her. He doesn't really have the notion of time so it's when he probably misses her that he realizes something might have happened, even though she warned him that she suspected her husband to take action.

Still, it feels like years in the hands of those mad men, absolutely believing she is worshipping the devil of death. If at first she almost wanted to tell them how _wrong_ they were, how death and devil have _nothing_ in common, she doesn't try opening her mouth anymore after the hundredth time of being burnt or whipped, those men hoping to get some damn confessions out of her mouth.

She fears the pain at first, the harsh beatings, the way they rape her, several of them at the same time, and everything always stings and hurt but _she can't die,_ not yet; so she waits and waits and prays it will end soon.

Oh, it's _that woman's_ idea, that's for sure, because her stupid husband isn't clever enough to think of such a distasteful way to die, he never was, and that sow will _pay_ for it.

Soon, the noises become more terrible than the pain, because she knows she's not the only one in there, other women being accused of similar sins and crimes they did not commit either, in the name of a God she can't recognize anymore. And the screaming… It's haunting the few hours of sleeps that she gets every night, waking her in terror, hoping they're not back for her yet.  
Still, somehow she holds up, Frances and Vincent playing in her mind, and she spends the time she's sane hoping for their safety, imagining her revenge towards the rats that locked her there.

Her tormentors speak of death every day, of how they're going to kill her for being so sinful, but it never comes and sometimes it's a distorted laugh that's coming out of her mouth in answer to their words because in the end, they know_ nothing_.  
They don't know _how beautiful_ Death can be, how considerate and interesting it can sound, how carefully it takes the souls of those who once lived before confining them safely in order for the dead to move on to the afterlife. They don't know and she will never say anything because _he trusts her_.

They don't know and they will stay unknowing of these facts forever, their deaths invisibly hanging right in front of their eyes, and she just has to reach for a way to make them see it, _to make them fear it_.

She doesn't know why she holds onto the belief that the Undertaker will arrive to rescue her, maybe because her captors think they have a hand in making death happening when they don't, but she still clings at it, the way she clings at her memory of their children, smiling and laughing happily together as if she was never forced to leave them to that _bastard_.

And finally… one day, he's _there_, coming out of nowhere, stopping the whip beating harshly her naked body, freeing her from her bounds and pushing away the man approaching a poker in flame near her hands. For once, he's not laughing and there is a different shining light in his yellow-green eyes, something she can't put a name on, as if gauging the lives of every men present in the area, deciding on those who were to live and die, but before long, he shakes his head, a smile finding its way to his lips, and he gives her a long black coat to cover herself with.

She decides of her captors' fate herself the moment he tells her how much time she's been away.

Vincent and Frances have been waiting for too long.

She kills them all as quickly as she can because she doesn't have time to make them suffer.

The suffering will be for the other two, the ones who put her there.

When she's done, the pain is still there but at least all the noises stopped, except for the sound of the Undertaker clapping his hands together in what she thinks is appreciation, or maybe resentment, an indecipherable expression on his face, his yellow-green eyes shining, reflecting what awaits all lives when the end comes.

She doesn't expect him to feel sorry for her because it's his lack of feelings that gives her the necessary motivation to go forward.

That's what she loves him for.

* * *

It takes a week or so before she can recover a part of her strength and she cannot wait.

The Undertaker keeps her in his funeral parlor the whole time, attending to her in his own way, his attitude towards her unchanging as if she was never abducted, but she knows it's not a way for him to cope with what happened to her. He doesn't mind either that she doesn't answer as passionately as before whenever she feels his fingers caressing her arms or his lips brushing against her neck. She needs time for that, but sometimes she doubts to ever feel the desire for sexual proximity again.  
He wouldn't mind that either, she muses, lovemaking being only secondary in the bizarre attachment they have for each other.

Often, she thinks of Vincent and Frances as she heals slowly, the Undertaker cheerfully noting when he spots a scar he knows won't disappear, and she wonders how much she will have missed in only a month. She also thinks of the torture she will inflict on her husband and his mistress when she watches him doing his job on bodies murdered in the streets, observing how he knows where to open carefully even though the people are already dead. He probably knows where it would hurt on somebody alive too...

"Teach me."

It's the first time she has given him an order and she shivers when his strange eyes gaze at her, the left one cut in the middle by a terrible scar, as the corners of his mouth quirk up.

…

He prefers to madly waltz with her instead.

It was a stupid thing to ask anyway. She already knows _where_ to hurt.

* * *

Revenge is best served cold, but she still thinks a fire is the best option to destroy all evidence. Her life can't end with her revenge, she still has to be free with her children and there is no way this wretched man is going to cast his shadow on her family for the rest of her life. So she plans the whole night carefully.

First, she appears in front of Brenda and Tanaka. They're both discussing when the Undertaker carries her to the window and she enters without a sound. They think she is a ghost at first, and how could she blame them?

That's when they tell her.

She doesn't lose time, and after giving the servants her instructions, she's off on her own path, deciding not to go see the children first, afraid her resolution might waver if she does, and going straight to the salon. The Undertaker will take care of them, she isn't worried for that.

Each step is silent and precautious, bringing her closer and closer to what she's dreamed to do for a month, her heart beating loudly in her ears. She doesn't feel the fear and she doesn't expect to fail, and that's precisely why, when she sees them talking with low voices, his hand caressing gently the belly carrying their child, she understands that she's won.

It's their defeat.

Taking a deep breath, she aims through the door-frame with her pistol carefully, just like her father taught her to do years ago, when she was still hoping to become the perfect wife of the Queen's watchdog. The taste of the remembrances in her mouth is bitter as the first shot touches his knee and his yelp of pain and surprise when she enters the room is like a nice melody to her ears.

He doesn't have time to get up from the armchair, especially not when she fires a second time, shooting his other leg, and he falls on the floor, gripping his wounds desperately.

His mistress yells in fear and tries to go straight to him but when Claudia points the gun at her, she halts.

She can see the questions already coming to their lips and she doesn't smile when she reminds them calmly of how she told them she would be back.

"For the children," she adds, "_my_ children."

She can decipher a mad look in the eyes of her husband's mistress and it's almost too easy to push her down when the woman poorly attempts to disarm her, one bullet finding its way into the woman's arm as another shriek of pain resonates through the house.

They're both on the floor right now, defenseless, at her mercy, all her senses screaming to end it, to make them suffer like they made her suffer, but it's not enough. She needs the fear, she needs to see them admitting _she won_ and she won't stop before she witnesses it.

So she sets the room on fire, earlier than what was planned at first, taking some embers from the fireplace and throwing them at curtains and furniture, the fabrics and wood setting ablaze immediately, the smell of smoke slowly rising in the air.

They are still screaming, senseless things coming out of their mouth, but in the commotion there are a few sentences that she manages to decipher in her husband's voice.

"Claudia, spare me! Take the children, but spare me, please! I'll leave you alone but don't let me die like this. _Please_!"

Hmph.

_How distastefully like himself,_ she thinks.

"See?" She turns towards her enemy, seizing her by the hair to stare at her face, intently watching her reactions. "That's the man he is. The cowardly, pathetical bastard that married me." She tightens her grip, shaking the woman's head in her fury. "He does not want to save anyone but himself, that is the kind of man he is. Even if you are carrying his offspring, if he has a way out he will take it, _leaving you behind._ Now, isn't he a wonderful man to fall in love with? _ISN'T HE ?_ "

"I… I…"

She wants to rip that head off, to strangle the pale neck below and she knows it's now or never because the fire is propagating quickly and she doesn't have much time left.

The woman is crying and she looks definitely ugly with her ruined make up, still clenching at Claudia's wrists to get free as she tries to speak, to apologize maybe, but that won't do.  
Nothing will stop her and no one either, she thinks, quickly taking a few steps back before firing the gun twice in the woman's belly, and the soon-to-be lifeless body collapses.

One is done.

Only one left.

An agonizing, painful scream is heard coming from her husband's direction, still bleeding on the floor, unable to move and to escape his incoming death, and Claudia raises her eyebrows. _So maybe he really did love her?_ She wonders, before shaking her head. It doesn't matter, it's too late now.

She takes a few steps towards the man who dishonored her, watching him shrivel in fear and she sees it in his eyes. She has won and he's nothing.

A wild anger takes over the need of revenge when she realizes this.

"All you had to do was repudiating me and letting the children go," she yells, losing the little control of herself that she had, "and I would have gladly let you leave with that whore! Blame nobody but yourself for your demise, you wanted to hurt me and so this is why we are here today. _It is YOUR fault_!"

He doesn't answer, his eyes staring at his mistress' lifeless body and it's more than she can take. Aiming one last time, she fires two shots.

One in the head, for never trying to accept her.

One in the heart, for the betrayal of a man towards his wife he swore to protect in front of God.

His eyes close and he dies, just like that, shattering her soul and her feelings with him, dooming herself for her sins, and in spite of the fire, she shivers.

_No tears_, she tells herself, because that's not who she is.

It's over.

And she leaves.

* * *

It's almost dawn and the house behind her is burning in a great fire. A purifying fire, the sect would have said back there and she smiles a bitter smile.

It's over, and they met the end they deserved.

She walks until she sees the carriage she told Tanaka and Brenda to safely prepare, the horses already pawing the ground, as if excited for the ride back to _home,_ and she climbs quickly inside it before the servants can really look at her. She can't have them asking questions. Not now.

Because of the curtains, it's even darker than the end of the night outside and for a minute it feels like she's trapped _back there_ once again and it's suffocating, but she takes a deep breath and before long her eyes accommodate to the darkness. Soon, she can distinguish two little sleeping children, still lost in their dreams, their heads resting on the Undertaker's laps.

Her heart swells as she's overwhelmed with the desire to take them into her arms but she can't disturb their sleep so she just lays a kiss on their cheeks, reveling in the sweet little smell of their hair and the soft caress of her lips against their skin.

_Sleep well, my little loves_, she thinks as she watches them dream. _We're finally going home, it's over._

She's about to closer her eyes as well, rocked by the carriage and the obscurity of the night when she hears his voice.

"You know you will have to tell 'em about what happened at some point, _hmm_~?

She doesn't answer.

_._

Actually, at this moment in the past she couldn't know it wasn't the end but the beginning.

_._

_._

But _now_ it is indeed the end. _Her_ end.

"The Phantomhives can survive as long they have each other…" She has trouble speaking now and the grip on her children's hands loosen.

.

.

.

And their beginning.

"You two can survive …"

_…I know I raised you well enough for that._

* * *

She's dying, Vincent knows it.

She's dying, Frances feels it.

This miserable story is over and she can't talk much more but they don't leave her. They can't.

So they stay by her side until the very end, each holding one of her hands as they watch her cry, fighting for each breath, pain sometimes arching her body, as they cry with her.

.

Claudia loves them.

Her son and his handsome face, his dazzling smiles and his wits. He's cunning and she hopes it will save him.

Her daughter, all beautiful and strong, more so than she ever was. Than any other woman ever was. She hopes Frances will have a way out of this.

_Protect them_, she inwardly asks Tanaka, Brenda and Maria.

There is something else she wants to say out loud, some words she should have uttered sooner, some words she hopes they don't need because they understood, but time plays against her and she can't, something deep inside forbidding her to. So instead she searches for one last pair of eyes, beautiful yellow-green eyes near the window, shining with the feeling of _something _approaching on such a peaceful night, and the moment her eyes meet his, she meets death and lets it take the soul that she damaged so many years ago.

.

.

The very last light of awareness leaves her eyes at the same time as the last tear, and only a promise stays behind hanging in the air when Claudia Phantomhive dies, as deafening as lightning in a silent night.

It's the dying promise of the terrible life awaiting the ones bearing the Phantomhive name.

.

.

.

_A life full of regrets._

* * *

It's the dawn of the thirteenth day of July in the year 1866 and their mother just passed away, leaving them alone to face the whole world, prostrated in one of their rooms, the girl crying and the boy holding her in his arms, shedding silent tears as well.

In the end, the woman named Claudia Phantomhive left this world with nothing but tears in her eyes and a hollow emptiness in her heart, the love for her children never strong enough to close the gap between them and her. Until the very end she stayed out of reach, always _always_ too far away, they realize it now… But at least now they understand why.

_Now they know._

"Ignorance is bliss, they say."

A cackle resonates through what was once Claudia's bedroom, but it's not reflecting amusement or mockery. After all, Death in itself is just a never changing fact so it's useless to feel sad or angry or happy about it, right? To every life there is Death waiting before the credits and no one can ever change the end.

Whether they like it or not.

He smiles at the hatred and desperation he can feel in the hearts of Claudia's children when he thinks these words, and he senses the pain, a dull sorrow that threatens to swallow them whole, just like it swallowed their mother once, but he doesn't understand it.

He can't feel these emotions, he doesn't know how to.

…

He knows the loneliness will be back soon, though.

* * *

_There you go, I hope the end was okay and that I didn't screw it up too much. One last chapter to go guys (except if it's too long and I end up cutting it in two), and three important characters to Vincent and Frances will be introduced in it, since I can't close the story without mentioning the people they're deeply linked to in their future. There are still little bits of the plot left unresolved _(want some hints, ahahah? One is a name, H, and the other a noun, m)_ and even though I wanted to go until Vincent's death at first, I'm going to stop even before Frances' wedding._

_About** Claudia and the Undertaker**, if you're interested:Originally, I've always thought that if Undertaker were to be more than interested in a particular human, it would have to be with someone closely linked to death: the Phantomhive family represents that in Kuroshitsuji, and I imagined Claudia in a way that she knew what death was like even when she was still a very young girl. Don't ask me about her "power" though, it's just something silly I imagined, taking in consideration that the Phantomhive family has been wiping off the Royals' problems for generation and there must be a reason for that. Maybe a supernatural reason even, I thought, hence the eye thing (like an inheritance from the first generations, don't look too much into it :S). I'm just waiting for Yana to prove me wrong here, since I have nothing to back my headcanons.  
_

_Also, we were shown in Kuroshitsuji before that Rippers could have an interest and some kind of attachment to humans (Grell and Ann for example) and even feel sexual attraction so I hope, for that reason, that you didn't mind the little bits of UT/Claudia I've sent your way in this chapter. :) I'm sure most of you know what I think of Vincent and Frances' genes and maybe that chapter gave you the necessary hints you were lacking in case you weren't sure. _

_See you for the final chapter, I haven't started writing it yet so I hope I will be able to soon, so you won't have to wait long. Thanks for reading and for the amazing reviews. ;) :3_


	5. Vincent & Frances, evil nobles (part I)

_OMG, two months since the last chapter, **I'm **_**_so so so _**_**SORRY**. _T_T

_Life got in the way with college and work, and since I had said "one chapter left", it got difficult to write when I noticed that just one chapter was impossible except for one with 15000 words or so. Which means the story will end at chapter 6 and not 5, unlike what I said last chapter... It just keeps getting longer and longer, sorryyyyy._

_I hope you'll enjoy that (long) chapter though, since Alexis and Diederich are finally introduced (and since Vincent is a wicked little bastard and Frances is depressed). Oh well... _

_**Disclaimer: Any characters you can recognize from the original story are the property of Yana Toboso.** _

_(A reminder: Claudia died at the end of the last chapter)_

* * *

**Blossoming in the Dark**

_Chapter __ 5 : Vincent and Frances, evil nobles (part I)_

Death is a given in the Phantomhive family, _or so it would seem. _

That's what Vincent thinks the night he kills his mother's enemies, the ones who ended her life, and the fact it's his first kill doesn't cross his mind on the moment. This is how his life will be from now on, spent in blood and liars, inspiring fear in the Underworld to avoid shedding new tears over new losses.

This is who he is supposed to be now as Earl Phantomhive and he won't suffer any defeat anymore, not when blood is the price to pay when he loses. He kills his enemies with that and his official new title in mind, the memory of the Queen giving him privately the power his mother once had a few days before playing in his head.

The Queen's watchdog is dead ; all hail the Queen's new watchdog.

« May he lives longer than the one before him », Frances adds bitterly when he comes back as both the Earl Phantomhive and the Queen's evil pawn, his two inseparable sides, and he can see she shed a few more tears while he was away.

_Longer than the one before him… _

He wonders what chance he has to outlive his mother until their fate brings death along for one more buried Phantomhive before shaking himself out of it.

_'You two can survive …'_

Right.

He doesn't plan on losing against fate, he is definitely too proud for that.

_Like mother, like son._

* * *

The funerals happen after that, on a windy morning, with a grey sky looming over them and there seems to be an awful lot of people mourning their mother and offering condolences… Some people he saw before, some he never met, some he didn't think his mother could have known…

He tightens his hand around Frances' when he feels her shaking. She's not used to being around people and he's sure she's seeing a threat in each and every person she doesn't know. He can't blame her, especially when he knows better than her about society, but today is not a day he wants to worry about gossip and people's selfish curiosity.

_Let the idiots talk, they shall face the same feelings one day too, little sister._

So many faces and yet only one remains in his memory. She's a frail young lady clad in black, just like Frances, with amber hair and blue eyes full of sorrow, approaching him after the ceremony; a governess with a serious look stands waiting for her a few steps away while she offers her apologies to him for his mother's death, just like so many others.

"We only met once", she says about the recently departed Claudia Phantomhive, "but she saved my life."

To say he didn't feel surprised by her words would be an understatement. He didn't know saving lives had been a part of his mother's abilities, and it was hard to believe considering how she had lost her own _so quickly_.

"I am sorry for your loss, my Lord. I wish I could have gotten to know her better," she adds, lowering her head towards the ground. She seems so very sad but Vincent can only wonders how she came to be so attached to someone she met only _once_. And what answer is he supposed to propose to her words? Offer some apologies on his family's part? Smile sadly?

"I am sure your words would have pleased her, my Lady." He chooses instead, because today is not a day he wants to be snippy. "Lady…?"

"Rachel Durless," she answers with a soft and sad voice, not looking into his eyes but with a faint blush on her cheeks.

Vincent gives her a very small smile in return, before wishing her the best and thanking her again for her words. She seems to want to say something else but somehow she doesn't and leaves it at that, curtsying slightly.

As he watches her walking away, followed by her governess, he briefly wonders if his mother had even been aware of saving the life of such a fragile creature. Then he sees Maria crying in the corner of his eye (she's hardly done anything else since her mistress died) and he remembers her loyalty since the very first day she was brought home by his mother. He never asked for her story but now that he thinks about it, he can assume his mother somehow also helped their maid with chapped hands and it's rather uncanny to think of Claudia Phantomhive as a savior.

Mrs. Brenda and Tanaka don't look much better when compared to Maria, with the governess looking like she's a hundred years old while she is twice less and Tanaka sternly staring at the ground, lost in grim thoughts, probably about the new grave which will today join all the others in the Manor's mortuary garden.

_To Mother_, Vincent thinks while the wind almost threatens to rip off Frances' black veil. _Who lived a miserable life and died a sad death. It looks like people will miss you._

As his eyes cross the Undertaker's (who helped planning the funerals), he wonders if that's accurate for him, her own son, too, because he doesn't want to _miss_ her and he can't allow himself to grieve for too long. What he wants is to move on.

The smile on the Undertaker's lips stays the entire day, as if the never-aging man could clearly look into his mind and liked what he saw. Vincent notices of course, his perception growing more and more accurate as he ages, and he believes he finally understood today why the ever strange man always smiles or laughs. Maybe that is a trick he should try mastering, for his own sake…

That's when Tanaka speaks up for the first time since waking him up in the morning.

"A state of perpetual grief isn't what is needed, my master. Crying upon the loss of someone you loved doesn't make you less of a man, cowardice of hoping to escape these feelings, however, does."

He answers his butler with a bittersweet smile of his own since he really dislikes people reading into his thoughts.

"The past is the past, gramps," he says, "that's why it can invade neither the present nor the future."

Learning to protect his mind behind harmless smiles is definitely what he shall do. After all, nobody is ever able to say what lies in the head of the mortician.

And he likes the mysterious vibes it will give him.

* * *

After the funeral, he still has a month before going back to Weston for one last year. One month in the manor with one less person living inside.

It's a terrible feeling.

At least Frances is there.

_Phantomhives can survive as long as they have each other. Never forget that._

Speaking of his sister, she spends most of her time outside with the few horses in the stables, talking to them and training them, the intelligent animals soothing her pain and keeping her busy, or at least that's what she says. He figures she feels the same as he does about the manor feeling emptier than usual, and he gets almost jealous to see her managing to cope with her sadness so fast, while he still thinks about it most of the time, to his own dislike.

A week later though, he finds himself an occupation when stumbling upon some old violin sheets in the library, meaning there's got to be a violin _somewhere_ in the manor, otherwise nothing makes sense. It takes a few hours but he finds the old thing hidden in one of the storage rooms, broken and dirty, right next to a dusty painting… the one Roger Farlow painted two years ago, the one her mother had wanted to burn upon laying her eyes on it.

Now that he's the one studying it, he thinks it's a terrible sight, the woman in the painting looking so different from the woman he saw dying a week ago all alone and miserable, even though they're supposed to be the same person. And to say he had at first found this painting to be so true to the living model…  
It takes some time to admit it (a few hours to stare at it without doing anything else actually) but Vincent decides he wants to remember his mother like the woman in the painting. At least, painted like that she looks fierce, like a conqueror, like someone who would have _survived_.

As the end of another silent day comes, he puts the painting back on his own above the fireplace in the library, its original place, and no one says a word.

Frances stops dead on her track and is on the verge of crying when she comes back from the stables though.

* * *

Vincent can't believe he's chosen as Blue House's prefect for his last year at Weston when he goes back to school, and he frowns at his misfortune. It's yet one more annoying task to add to the list for this year, especially with his duty to the Queen being more important than anything else.

It gets worse when somehow Farlow joins him in the Swan Gazebo as Purple House's prefect, while the lonely German young man who never got anyone coming for five long years (Vincent can remember _that _very well), Diederich with an unpronounceable German last name, is chosen as Green House's prefect. Finally, the boy elected for Red House is a blond peacock sounding as uninteresting as he looks and the young Earl feels like giving up for the hundredth time in two months.

Theoretically, they make a good mix but the last thing he wants is to try being socially respectable when he only knows _one_ out of the three students, not to mention the fact he fought with another one, the German boy _definitely not _forgetting about the light insults he threw his way two years ago or so.  
So, adding the infuriating role of the prefect on top of all that and he ends up venting out his frustration to his sister through letters once a week.

Now that their mother is dead, he's not really fond of letting go of his only family member, not even when he's in London and she's not, and he likes sending her letters so often, because he's trapped in a closed society and she's the only one who knows who he truly is _out there_, in the real world.  
It makes him feel like a brat but Tanaka or Brenda, _or his mother _for this matter, aren't there to blame him for his behavior so he doesn't stop, and soon he ends up getting often yelled at by the Green German prefect.

Hot-blooded like he is, Diederich Something can never contain his anger inside which explains why he always needs to burst out and unfortunately, Vincent is the one having to bear with the consequences of his rather _short_ temper, to the point he almost pities Diederich's blond fag.

However, the first time the German gets _very_ insulting with him, it goes to the point that even _Farlow _stops what he's doing to look at them, but even with that, Vincent doesn't want to retaliate and leaves Swan Gazebo to go reading in the library without a word.  
As he walks away, he hears the discreet whisper of Diederich's fag, Midford, rebuffing quickly the older boy for his lack of consideration before Farlow explains Vincent's personal circumstances.

The young Earl doesn't even feel thankful to them, because Diederich is uninteresting and he doesn't have time for uninteresting to bother his somewhat busy life.

* * *

He's speechless when the next time he sees Diederich, the German offers him awkward apologies and even condolences for his loss, eyes staring at the ground the whole time, with obvious shame in his attitude but is it for his precedent outburst or for having to apologize, that Vincent doesn't know.

He stares at the retreating back when the other boy quickly leaves once he's done, not understanding the one he thought was simple and uninteresting in the first place.

Why apologizing and really feeling sorry when Vincent was never one to play nice with him? Why acknowledging the death of his mother as a reason to be the one at fault in their last fight when he doesn't even know her name?

His fellow prefect is a living contradiction to Vincent's own self and it triggers both a smile to his lips and confusion in his mind. So he asks Tanaka to do research about Diederich and when the results arrive by letter, there clearly isn't much to say, because he's got a past not unordinary to what Vincent has already seen.

Born to a severe German lord and his English wife, he was sent to study at Weston after the death of his older brothers made him his father's heir. The letter underlines a clear sort of violence in the father's personality and Vincent wonders if that's why Diederich's got such a short temper.

In the end, the letter doesn't help and it makes even less sense for Vincent, because why would a boy with a clearly dysfunctional relationship to his father want to indulge into other people's foolishness? With such a father, he had probably been forced to learn never to step back from what was already done and yet… His behavior showed he wasn't someone remotely close to that. Maybe the German was a stubborn one?

Vincent's somewhat busy life gets even more filled when he decides to add casual observations of Green House's prefect to the list. He's sure the other boy is just a big idiot but even idiots can hold some sort of interest deep within them. Of course, watching the boy fall would certainly be more amusing but he wants to see if the other's righteousness will prove to be useful for whatever ordeals life will bring him.

It's not to the point he wants to get involved in all this, but watching from afar is still very tempting, and he's sure that's an occupation he can do while reading his books anyway.

* * *

Months pass and Vincent has definitely decided the other prefect was _really_ an idiot. Infinitely proud of his dormitory and never tolerating any sort of injustice, he's passionate and that's really laughable. The only good part in all this is that it brings Vincent numerous moments of fun, like these never-getting-old jokes, even if at the same time the German constantly gets on his nerves with his stiff reproaches and angry outbursts, directed at him of course.

All this tends to render the atmosphere at Swan Gazebo a bit tense, since outside of Diederich yelling, Farlow almost never talks and Peter Alden (Red House's prefect) is boring.

Soon, he realizes making sure all the students are respecting the school's holy rules is all that Diederich can talk about without running out of things to say and he would blame Green House's policy of privileging muscles to brain education, except that Diederich's fag, Alexis Leon Midford, is definitely not like that.  
And Vincent truly is one to appreciate someone standing out, especially in such a closed world like Weston and when the person in question can hold a discussion with him for more than three minutes (when he's not busy trying to get his prefect to calm down).

But _as months pass_, he finds himself running out of things to do that can spice up his daily routine when he receives a letter from the Queen, his first personally addressed to him as the Earl Phantomhive.

Long story short, his interest in life grows again when he realizes that to investigate the Queen's new matter, he'll inevitably have to find a way to escape the school several nights in a row without anybody discovering, a thing he wanted to try since his very first year in there.

He just hopes he won't break any bones by jumping from a five meter wall to the ground below, since _that_ would be complicated to explain to the other students (well, he could always say that Diederich was the one responsible for it somehow, but a war between the Blue and Green Houses wouldn't bring him much, not even a small moment of peace, so definitely not worth the trouble).

* * *

Come December again and soon Christmas time as well, like last year and all the others before, which means Vincent will come home soon.

Letters being the only way to talk to her brother, Frances easily got used to feeling lonely over the four months he was away, the permanent silence and the empty rooms filling her days even with the three servants remaining at her disposal (because at some point, even taking care of the horses became unsatisfying).  
Generally, with loneliness comes depression and Frances is no exception to that, especially not when herself knows she's not a bird capable of being locked in a cage, though she has no mother left to forbid her to do what she wants. So she goes out sometimes, just because she can, to London to get her clothes made (she doesn't want tailors coming to the manor anymore) or to shop for new books or accessories; she trains outside in the gardens with Tanaka, she learns poison with Maria…  
All to get any feelings outside of constant torpor, to have the illusion she's still a living being in this world, but sometimes it doesn't work.

"Your eyes have stopped shining, my Lady," Brenda says one day as she ties her hair into her usual complicated braid. And Frances sighs because her eyes were never stars in the first place and she's no longer a child that such compliments would ravish.

Having nothing to do but think when she's not reading or training, her heart is constantly filled with tumultuous feelings she doesn't understand, and she often remembers her mother's story _again and again_, with her good-for-nothing father and his mistress, the woman who helped destroy everything, their _murders_… And as always, each time she thinks about it, her soul sinks a little more into a dark and imaginative abyss.

The morning she turns fifteen is the morning she realizes _what is actually wrong with her,_ as she spends a long time looking at her reflection in a mirror.  
Running her hands into her blond hair, observing the way her reflection's green eyes stare into her own, her heart beating way too fast, she can't believe she never realized before… Addressing worries she always refused to admit, she looks at herself wondering just who she is.  
Who's the girl with blond hair and green eyes when her parents and brother's hairs are dark like ravens' feathering? When none of them had green eyes?  
She suddenly feels like a foreigner to her own family and she doesn't understand why she's so different and _why she never noticed before_.

Pushed by an unknown feeling, she then lets her nightgown fall on the floor and observes her young body. She's thin and there's not an ounce of fat but taunted muscles everywhere in sight, certainly useful to defend her life and her brother's, but the only similar look she recognizes from what she saw of women in London's streets is her long hair.  
Maria opens the door at that moment to wake her up and wish her a happy anniversary but she stops when she sees the young lady naked in front of the mirror.

"You're a very pretty girl," she tries with an honest tone after a minute of silence spent gauging the situation, "Like your mother." And Frances laughs this time, without looking away from the mirror, even if it's not funny, both the sound and the taste of it bitter.

"Don't say stupid things. I look _nothing_ like any person of the Phantomhive family."

Maria doesn't add anything to that but helps her getting clothed and the day of her fifteenth birthday is spent even more grimly than any other before since her mother's funerals.

Comes the next morning and she has packed up to go live at the town house in London until Vincent is home for his vacation, only taking Tanaka with her, because she can't take one more glance at the painting of her mother in the library.

She needs to forget her mother's dark eyes and hair for a time or she knows she'll destroy the painting.

So she leaves the manor, with her butler, an uncertain heart and a growing discomfort in her soul but without a single look behind.

* * *

In the town house, she can't help but trying to compare it with the one she lived in for a month ten years ago, with her father and his mistress.

She remembers her mother's words about five months ago and the pain in each of her breaths, but she also knows that she _can't _recall many things about her father and it's bothering her. She thinks maybe she remembers the fear when Mother was taken away, and the horrible woman who would beat her sometimes… She recalls thinking that maybe their father didn't love them and hoping to get away from the house but that's all so blurry… She was only four at that time, after all.

Of course, she doesn't doubt her mother's story, especially since Vincent has more memories of that time than she does and he finds every word accurate to the man he loathed, but it's still painful. She wants to recall hating him, to have a reason to_ understand _her mother's violent revenge but she hardly remembers anything for that.

Soon, with these thoughts in mind, the atmosphere in the house becomes intoxicating and having nothing else to do inside, she tells Tanaka to come out with her for a walk.

London is overcrowded, even in cold winter, and it's not something she particularly feels at ease with, but at least she doesn't stand out in the crowd amongst the other women, unlike at home when she's alone with her reflection in the mirrors and the memories of her mother haunting her.

They're nearly home at the end of the afternoon when Frances' ears catch the excited words of boys slightly older than her mentioning a fencing tournament the Queen would hold in three days for one of the royals' anniversary. Strangely enough, Tanaka shows her an invitation about it that he received a few days before once they're back to the house.

"You should go, my Lady. It would change your mind," He says with a gentle smile.

She looks at him and sighs before going back to staring at the coal burning in the fireplace, effectively warming the room. In three days, Vincent would already be home for his vacations anyway and she'd rather spend time with him at the Manor.

"It is not written '_boys only'_," Tanaka adds, "Besides, I would not propose you to go if I weren't sure you could win it, my Lady."  
_Of course_ he thinks all that he utters, especially since he was the one who took care of her training a few years ago, and Frances is slightly tempted by his words, especially since the town house is even emptier than the Phantomhive manor, but a young lady at a fencing tournament? Would they even agree to her presence?

"They only announce the participants by their family name and nothing forbids you to keep your mask on at all time. They shall measure your height at the beginning so they will have a proof to verify it is indeed you at each match."

"I shall think about it," she says to end the discussion, if anything because Tanaka's a gentle man and nice enough to comply with her when all she wants to do is cry and sleep.

…

Three days later, standing in her fencing clothes and with her butler at her side, Frances is surrounded by young aristocrats between fifteen and twenty years old and their families or sweethearts in a hall that seems awfully small for the many people in there.  
Thinking she's probably making the biggest mistake of her life, the feeling that she doesn't belong there gets to her heart quickly and an inkling of fear shakes her body as she anxiously waits for the beginning of the matches.

The competitors are separated into two different homogeneous groups once the procedures are done, opponents chosen at random, and it only takes a small time for the referees to get in place before it starts.  
Her first opponent is a man almost twice her height and she can guess he's smiling thinking of the midget he's facing, probably already sure of his victory, while she breathes through her nose to slow down her heartbeat.

The referees give the signal of the beginning and it takes Frances exactly fifteen seconds to realize the man in front of her has no chance of winning against her, and that allows her to gain control over herself again, forgetting the rules of society and concentrating on her moves. Winning too fast would make her wait too much before her next battle and she doesn't want to risk having people coming to talk to her if she makes it too obvious that it's _easy_, so she takes it slowly, focusing on parrying his awkward attacks and waiting for the moment she'll strike the final coup.

_Obviously_, she wins her first match and the three following it quickly, each time disappointed on how simple it was, how untrained the older boys were and there is no hesitation in her heart that she'll win this, even if she hopes to face at least one competent opponent before the end.  
Winning every game and challenge existing is something written in the Phantomhive bloodline, and this tournament is no exception, but facing hardships in games is always what makes it thrilling and so far, she's still experiencing boredom and frustration.

Soon, there is only one competitor left outside of her and she gets ready for the final match. During the last hour, whispers started circulating about the competitor 'Phantomhive' throughout the hall, 'small size but deadly attacks' they'd say, and she deciphers respect in the words of those who watched her fence and animosity from those she won against.  
Tanaka is still standing in the same corner since the beginning, watching her expectantly, and he gives her an encouraging smile. He's proud and she feels better and relieved to have been able to avoid too much curiosity by keeping the best of her capacities hidden, while still getting people to be impressed by her.

The referee calls for the last two competitors and people's eyes focus on her and a boy only a head taller than she is, his face hidden by his mask like her, as they both make their way to the center of the room.  
_Midford… _She thinks as she hears her opponent's name, trying to remember what she knows about his family, before Brenda's old lessons remind her that he must be the son of the British Knights' leader.

_Good. Maybe there is actually someone here aware of what fighting with a sword means. _

A moment passes and they're facing each other for the final match. 'Quite good, precise and fast' are what her ears quickly gather of people's opinion about him and she feels a small exaltation at the thought of someone in this tournament finally being able to put up _a real fight_ against her.

She watches as he salutes first, quickly bowing his head towards her in quick acknowledgement and she reciprocates the movement before the referee signals the beginning of the match.

And all happens in an instant before she can realize it once he starts moving.

Yes, he's fast, more so than any men she faced today, but she's ten times faster.

Yes, he's precise, but she's _deadly_.

When she took three minutes to bring her other opponents down, it takes her twenty seconds to _crush_ the son of the British Knights' leader and she refuses to refer to him as anything near 'good', even inwardly, when she's invincible.  
Standing over him when he's lying down, her fencing weapon to his throat, she stares at him through her mask in a mix of disdain and hatred.

"I yield," he hurries to say, his voice throaty and she feels herself beginning to shake.

It's over. It's her victory.

A single woman won against most of the future lords or knights of England and their leader.  
All the future men expected to protect their country beat by a girl younger and supposedly frailer than them, revealing them for what they truly were: good-for-nothing weaklings.

_Is it why Mother died? _She thinks, breathing erratically as the referee announces 'competitor Phantomhive' as the winner._ Because the Underworld is out of control and **she was the only one fighting it**? Because men like them did nothing while a woman alone acted the best she could for her country?_

She feels the anger rising up through her entire being and her heart beating loudly in her ears as she tries to appease the sorrow darkening her thoughts again.

_Is that why my mother was killed? Why my family is cursed to die so quickly with each new generation? Because these men are useless?_

Below her foot and her sword, Midford was trying with difficulty to move, reaching up to take off the mask protecting his face and Frances loses it at the sight of his weak attempt at getting away from his opponent. Going against her previous decision in fit of rage, she extends a hand to take her own mask off in order to reveal her face, wanting to shame the men around her and to let them realize that _a woman_ was all it needed to kill the whole bloody lot of them.

Her straight blond hair tied in a long ponytail finally freed from the containment, her green eyes glowering like never before, she sees Midford's eyes widening in disbelief upon realizing he just lost to a girl as she hears several surprised gasps all around her.

_Useless weaklings!_

Still under her, she catches sight of Midford opening his mouth to speak and putting as much rage in her eyes as she can, her voice filled with venom, she spits her last words of the day to her last opponent, hoping to control her tears for a little while longer.

"_Pathetic_! And you _dare_ to call yourself the future Head Knight of England?!"

Midford's words get stuck in his throat under her menacing glare and before the referee can intervene, she removes the foot maintaining him on the floor and turns her back to him, the awards and the speechless crowd as she quickly walks for the exit, Tanaka hurrying to catch up with her.

The ride back to the town house is fast and silent, but the moment Tanaka pushes the door open is the moment Frances chooses to let her sadness overwhelm her heart as she breaks down on the floor and cries one more time for the mother she lost a few months ago. And Tanaka's soothing words and sympathy don't stop her tears and resentment.

On the floor, hugging her knees, so unlike a proper lady, she wants to hate the world and its selfishness, but she hates ignorance the most and her own in particular.  
After all, there was a reason her mother had disliked society so much, and it was yet one more thing that her children never understood about her.

* * *

After that, Christmas is spent in a gloomy atmosphere, Vincent busy with his work for the Queen and his sister lost in the meanders of her own mind.  
The brother knows something happened at that fencing tournament, but the watchdog doesn't have time to talk with her for the moment, and when the time is up, he goes back to Weston with a slight worry in heart but the conviction that he'll be able to reassure her through their usual epistolary correspondence.

Speaking of Christmas, the German prefect is even angrier than before and Vincent almost doesn't manage to avoid the punch coming at him after just one lousy mocking statement when their merry group is back to the swan gazebo the first time.

Still, it's not a time for rejoicing because Vincent's current work for the Queen hasn't progressed at all since receiving her letter. The Undertaker usually being his only source of information, Vincent had to find another way to investigate the corpses of the different foreigners upon discovering that the strange mortician had disappeared God knows where some time after his mother's funerals, leaving him with only Scotland Yard's help and the men weren't fond of helping a young and pretentious Earl (according to their own words).

And being left clueless was not something that Vincent was particularly fond of, so putting on hold his investment in the investigation of a possible alcohol trafficking at Weston, he spends some time thinking about ways to end the Queen's actual subject of concern. Of course, Diederich is mad about his decision, but Vincent doesn't see himself explaining his reasons, so he leaves it at that and his relationship with Green House's prefect quickly reaches the point of no return in the German's head. Not that himself cares.

He's sure he can expect even more punches from now on and he hopes all his training with his sister will pay off, just in case Diederich stops being predictable.

* * *

He ends up solving the case, as expected, but the time taken to do so shames him and he promises himself to always have several back up plans, so he can avoid finding himself in a dead-end again. He's not even angry at the Undertaker, especially since the man never bound himself to always be findable in his shop, just in case Earl Phantomhive would need him.

There is a lesson to learn at every level that he reaches, that he knows, and he makes sure to learn them by heart at each opportunity so he won't trip at the first real trap he'll encounter.

With that, months pass and he finds himself mastering musical knowledge during his free time, learning how to play the violin quite well since he first started after the funerals, and it's rather enjoyable.  
Trying his hand at writing a few melodies during Easter vacations, he wonders if Frances would agree to try learning the piano so they can play together, knowing she needs new occupations to keep her busy otherwise she ends up with her head in dark clouds, and within her eyes the promise of a loud thunder approaching.  
So he buys a piano for the Mansion before even asking her, even though she prefers living in London when he's not there, hoping it would rejoice her at least a little. She doesn't really say anything but he doesn't worry. Actually, maybe learning something new will bring a smile again to her face.

Going back to Weston, he congratulates himself about not being paranoid, because reflecting about watching his sister do nothing but reading and training for a whole month, he now has a clear memory of his mother losing herself into her duties and forgetting how to live happily. That thought in mind, he promises himself to send more letters to Frances if he can, just to make sure she doesn't forget as well.

* * *

In May of this year, the days are much warmer than before and he often likes to nap on the grass while reading his books, just to feel the sun on his face and because he can do as he likes. That's the only advantage of being a prefect.

**"Mole!"**

_God, I spoke too fast…_

Inwardly he sighs and groans at the same time, because Diederich sure knows how to ruin his calm. As always, he's followed by his fag who's still trying to get him to yell less loudly, Vincent can recognize the two voices, and he probably has his cricket bat in his fist as well, since the 4th of June is approaching quickly.

_Speaking of which, didn't he say something about the preparations two days ago? _

Indeed he did, and now that Vincent forgot, he sure is angry. Moving away from that ridiculously large bat in a swift move and watching his book getting hammered down, he sighs through his nose and gets ready for the storm.

_Annoying…_

Even more so when he's getting called a leader to a pack of sheep by someone rendered so uptight because of simple school rules.

It could have been worse, but Vincent still takes it at heart and in answer to the provocative words, his smile is fake and his eyes deadly.  
He doesn't know where the feeling comes from, but for the first time in months, he thinks now is the time to retaliate, if only to make Diederich understand that once out of Weston his cranky behavior could get him into _serious_ trouble, more than just to organize a severe humiliation. Of course, adding humiliation is always better, and he doesn't refute the thought at all, but he doesn't really care about _revenge_ ultimately, it's just Diederich definitely needs a valuable lesson. Besides, it's another way for him to start training his creativity for the future, for whenever troublemakers from the Underworld will bother him.

And in the end it's even _too_ easy, the German prefect taking the bait without a shred of hesitation, and Vincent wonders who the sheep really is between Blue House's students and that boy, not that it matters; now that he's agreed it, it will be his downfall.

_ Now I only have to find a way to win the cricket tournament._

He's not worried. The 4th of June is still far enough for him to think of a good plan, Blue House being the brains where Green House are the muscles, but even the weakest soldiers can win with a good tactician.

As he gets slowly back to his room still lost in thought, he wonders if Frances would be good at playing cricket.

* * *

**"No."**

It's the middle of the night a week later and he's having tee in the town house's living room with his sister. Once again, he got out of Weston secretly at night after sending her a small telegram about his intentions for the 4th of June.

"_No_, I will not take one of your players' places. They are all boys older than me and I have never played this game! This plan _will_ fail."

"You have watched several games already though, sweet sister, so I am sure you can recall the rules perfectly." After all, she came several times visiting him these past few years. "Besides," he adds with a devious smile, "_no_ plan of mine ever failed yet. So you have nothing to worry about, especially since we are fighting these boorish musclemen."

"You have to win two games in order to win the tournament."

"I know. And I _will_. If you agree to help me, of course; I need your strength."

Frances sighs loudly. "I am a girl. Girls watch, they do _not_ play. Do you imagine the scandal?"

"There is no need for them to find out, come on now! With good make up, a wig, and the fact that Blue house students have bad eyesight, it can work out."

"What about the other students, from the other dormitories?"

"Well, they will be too concentrated on their own game and an unexpected move is all it takes to swipe the victory from under their feet."

He knows he's starting to win her to his side, maybe because she's bored, maybe because the fencing tournament that broke her feelings and awoke her anger still plays on her mind, surely because they're similar deep inside and she won't tolerate to see him lose at such a childish bet.

"Frances…" He says slowly with the sweetest smile, each words resonating along with the coal burning in the fireplace. "We can do this, as brother and sister. Deceiving over a hundred of people the way they _least _expect it. Except that this time, they won't know the trick behind the magic."

She knows he's talking about the fencing tournament of December, after which he told her he would have preferred her to protect her anonymity; not because she was a woman but because this could bring unwanted attention both to her and him, and his secret job didn't do so well with outsiders' curiosity.

"…"

She closes her eyes, thinking of his words, and sighs. He smiles widely, relishing in his victory.

"Now, I need to get started on all the preparations. Study the rules and ask Tanaka to train you. I shall see you soon." He says as he watches her getting up and leaving to go to bed.

_Sleep well, sweet sister_, he sends her way mentally, half thinking it still won't be tonight that she'll start sleeping peacefully again. _Deceiving over a hundred of people, I hope you'll enjoy it, because that's only one of the many things in our power._

* * *

Any person claiming to be philosophical would say that victory in itself isn't anything but that the efforts it took to attain it are worth everything, and Vincent would surely spit at them in his mind for these words.

Blue House wins on the 4th of June, as expected in his mind, because failure never was an option.

Blue House won against Purple House because Farlow didn't put up a fight and it was easy to trick them.

And Blue House won against Green House because Diederich is always overwhelmed by his emotions and the rest of his team are too pretentious, because Vincent is cunning and because his sister's strength never lead to anything but victory.  
Somehow, he wishes his mother was there to witness all of it; to see her daughter becoming invisible on the playing field because of these boys' stupidity, she would have understood every part of Vincent's plan for sure and he knows she would have smiled with pride.

He hears Frances curse in his dormitory room as she's removing the wig and the male sports clothing that Vincent took from a Blue House's student (who was officially a player but who ended sleeping the entire time thanks to one of Maria's little mixtures) and he laughs. Whatever comes from his sister's mouth, he saw her eyes glint during the matches and he can conclude she had fun.

The rest of the afternoon is spent happily eating, dancing and trying to escape from the many congratulating words thrown his way, his smile on the entire time, while Frances tries to blend into the crowd, worried someone might have recognized her during the tournament. Diederich is nowhere to be found and Midford looks worried but Vincent doesn't let this bother him. The German prefect is just a sore loser and _he_ won the bet, so now it's up to Diederich to honor his side of the deal and _if_ he doesn't, well, it will still _certainly_ be of use for later, if Vincent ever needs his help for anything (calling it blackmailing is a bit too much since it is Diederich's end of the bargain after all).

He doesn't intend to pressure the German boy about the bet, Blue House's victory will surely bring him all the peace he wanted until graduation day in less than two months and it's already a great award in itself.

_And I still don't know what I can ask of him_, he thinks, not because he doubted his victory but because his mind was always busy planning today's entire outcome. _Oh, well, I'll find something if he comes to ask for it..._

He's brought back to reality upon noticing Midford following his sister around and trying to talk to her. _Well_, he would have never thought of Midford being similar to Hampton, the pretentious man who took him as his fag two or three years ago, but there is no way he's going to let any man harass his little sister when she is clearly refusing his attention.

_How does he even know her anyway?_

* * *

It takes two days before Diederich finally shows himself in front of him at Swan Gazebo, all tense and serious, interrupting his reading for the hundredth time since the beginning of the school year and he minds because it's a letter from the Queen about a new case he needs to get started on.

"Phantomhive…"

_Oh? He remembered my name. What a good boy. _

In a way he's surprised because a part of him didn't believe Diederich would show up and yet here he's standing, fists clenched but eyes staring defiantly into his own and Vincent can't help but think that _maybe_ the German boy isn't always predictable. In rare moments.

And that's funny.

He still has to find something to burden him with since the other boy is asking so nicely, but with a large part of his brain working on the content from the Queen's letter, only one idea comes to mind and he doesn't push it away, not even when he feels in advance the huge headaches that this _arrangement_ will definitely bring.

"Become my fag."

_And shut up. That's my first order to you, my little German dog._

* * *

Frances surely doesn't expect Vincent to come back to their town house at the beginning of August right after graduation with the boy who led the Green House's cricket team in June.

_Wasn't he the most annoying one out of the entire Swan Gazebo bunch?_

Vincent shrugs when she tells him, the stranger's ears out of reach. "He's my fag."

"Didn't you graduate yesterday?"

"He lost the cricket tournament."

Frances waves his hand at him like she's swatting an annoying fly and lowers her voice even more. "What about your… _work_?"

"He's too strict to run away from this since he's the one who owe it to me in the first place. Even though he might have an ethical problem about what we do."

Frances doesn't point out the "we" part, even though it bothers her. The German man, standing a few steps away from them, doesn't like the whispered conversation and his voice rises in the air, angry enough for everyone to notice it. He certainly doesn't seem happy about his current situation.

"I don't plan to stay around Phantomhive, but I'd appreciate it if you could stop _whispering_ like that. As for you, woman, rest assured that I'll leave as soon as possible, for I didn't wish to come here at all!"

This is enough for Frances to see red (well, she doesn't share Vincent's calm attitude at all) and her brother quickly takes a step back. Summoning all her possible fury towards the stranger insulting her after walking two steps into her house, she eyes him scornfully.

"I didn't know people from your country considered it proper to insult a lady, Ger_man_."

Diederich probably didn't expect a young woman like Frances to talk back, Vincent muses as he watches from afar, a wide smile on the lips, which explained the rather insulting words that followed.

"You're letting her speak harshly to a guest of yours?" Diederich asks him as he looks at his sister up and down defiantly, "She is in need of a serious correction!"

"Hmm… This is a wrong choice of words for I don't have any rights to order her around, Dee… Besides, you're my fag and that's _below_ the guest rank," Vincent says with a smooth smile, not giving a care in the world about the rather injurious meaning of his sentence.

"What the…?!" His fag almost smothers, humiliated, "I should have known, she's your sister, she's like **you**…" But Diederich suddenly gets interrupted in his somewhat repetitive monologue when a hand clamps around his wrist and he finds himself facing Frances' deadly gaze as he swallows anxiously, not having ever experienced such crushing anger before.

"Men in this household respect me, _German_, so you'd better do as well, otherwise you'll sleep outside. Do you understand?"

She lets go of his wrist right after she's done speaking and the ex Green prefect takes a few steps back, slightly cowering in fear of a girl smaller and younger than him, while Vincent finds it incredibly hard not to die from laughter.

_ Welcome to our world,_ he says mentally to his upset fag, _I'm sure you'll loath every moment you'll spend with us and it will be my pleasure to make you endure it for as long as possible._

It's been two months since he asked Diederich to become his fag and even now he still doesn't know if it satisfies him or his duty to the Queen, but small moments like the one he just witnessed makes him sure he wants to keep it that way for at least a little while longer.

Because if there one thing the Undertaker taught him well, it's that life without fun isn't an option.

_It's been a long while since I last saw him by the way… I wonder where he is…_

* * *

_Hope you still enjoyed it and I **promise** the wait for the next chapter won't be that long (still maybe it will take a month or so, because my exams are at the beginning of May...). _

_Sorry for the cliffhanger (kinda) at the end too, I wanted to introduce another part but it would have been too long, so it's for the next chapter. :/ A preview though? Alexis is a (nice) manipulator. ;)_

_Thanks again for reading this and take care guys._

_Until next time!_


	6. Vincent & Frances, evil nobles (part II)

_Sorry for the delay once again, I'm really awful at keeping deadlines... And I'm afraid I also have to say that I cut up the chapter in two once again and the last part will be up next week end.  
_

_Seeing it is is getting over 12.000 words, and I still have the last 3 parts to write, I felt it was better if I cut it in half, to make it a more comfortable read for you. However since I **only** have the last 3 parts of the story to write though, the last chapter will _definitely_ be up next week end. _

**_A brief reminder from the last chapter?_**_ Claudia is dead, __Vincent and Dee graduated from Weston, Frances beat Alexis in a fencing tournament and has fears about the way she and Vincent are living, and Tanaka is drinking tea as usual while watching over them (lol). As for the Undertaker, God knows where he is._

_In case you realize that some events or characters mentioned in this chapter don't ring any bell for you, since it's been a while and all, make sure to reread briefly chapter 3 and 4. It's my bad for taking so long to write!_

_You should be able to read ch6 now (Btw: _"~~blahblah ~~"_ means the person is singing)_

_**Disclaimer: Any characters you can recognize from the original story are the property of Yana Toboso.** _

* * *

**Blossoming in the Dark**

_Chapter_ _6 : Vincent and Frances, evil nobles (part II)_

_"~~__And the lady asked herself about the noble knight 'do I love thee'…__~~?" _

_"…"_

_"~~But well advised the one who learnt on what answer her heart settled~~… __Do I love you?"_

_"How should I know?" _

_"I think I could, you see~… Should you be slumbering for eternity in one of my cof~fins~ that is heheheh…!"_

_"You would miss me."_

_"I'm afraid you are too deadly to be as unforgettable while still alive, my Lady."_

_"I thought death's definite end is what bored you, hence why you are interested in the living now?"_

_"I never said that. People are always more beautiful dead than alive, anyway~."_

_"You would miss _me_." _

_A silence._

_A smile._

_"There is no way~."_

_Does he know? A smile can sometimes prove to hold a bigger meaning than an actual lie._

* * *

The cohabitation doesn't start well and it takes a few months for Frances to appease her defiance towards the stranger who invaded their home while Vincent's daily routine doesn't change much, because he has this capacity to block out anything unwanted from his mind, and that includes Diederich's tantrums and his sister's angry responses to them.

It takes an explanation about Vincent's duty to the Queen for Diederich to finally manage living a few days without yelling. However, Vincent guesses that the silence probably comes from shock and disbelief rather than from a peaceful state of mind.

They don't talk about it at first. Cowardly tactic, but Vincent can understand the need of a time for acknowledgement, besides he remembers well how himself reacted when he was told.  
It is when he catches the German boy gazing into nothing through a window that he chooses to make the first step.

It takes six month since their graduation day for Diederich to finally start fitting in the Phantomhive household, no murder on his tab and with all his sanity left. Vincent guesses the German finds some relief in the fact that he's only a tool to the Queen's watchdog, not the actual Underworld's keeper himself, and the young earl doesn't try to take that reasoning out of the other boy's mind.

It's the truth after all.

Now that Diederich is fully aware of what the Phantomhives do, Vincent lets him choose by himself whether he wants to follow him on investigations or not. A part of him always believed that the truth would make the German run away with his tail between the legs for sure but Diederich stayed, misleading all his predictions and he wonders if he should be happy about this or not.

Another part of him wants to know if Diederich stays because of that childish bet he lost or if he truly found his place in that strange part of the world they're living in, but according to Tanaka, the answer is elsewhere.

"His father watched him lose against you during the cricket match, my master."

So this explains that. From what he knew about Diederich's father, failure was not an option and if the man indeed witnessed his son becoming the first Green prefect who lost against Blue House, Vincent could clearly understand why Diederich would rather stay away from his home and his father's disappointment.  
It is quite the predicament actually, Diederich staying away from his country and his angry genitor while getting himself involved in England's dirt even though he never wished for any of that. Vincent briefly considers revealing the 'trick' he used in order to win the bet but would Diederich's father even be contented with it? It would probably be a greater humiliation for a man like him.

Vincent isn't home when Diederich actually receives a letter from his aforementioned father, for the first time since his graduation day, and only Frances watches the older boy falling down in an armchair facing her own, worry and what looks like sadness appearing on his face as he clutches the small paper to his chest.

Freedom is never eternal it seems. Neither is escape.

A military career as a German soldier, achieving ranks and honor through action and battles, that's what awaits him, a path his father always hoped to see one of his two older brothers take. As the only son left, making his own decision is out of question now.

"At least the months I spent with your brother will prove to be useful when I start killing people as a soldier."

It is not funny and he senses it before seeing it on her face, so he quickly apologizes but the feeling is still the same. He has to come back to Germany in order to begin his career as a military man, because it's what his father wishes for his heir, but he doubts he will succeed in his father's eyes no matter what he will do. He's in for a life he will spend trying to act as his father's son even though his father's _real_ heirs died in stupid accidents. He almost wants to laugh because it feels like reality just settled in his mind.

A year of respite is already something but he isn't contented at all.

"It is true you really _are_ terrible at fighting." The words sound quite cold to someone already bitter about his own situation, but it has the effect wanted and the young man focuses on the young lady facing him while she calmly delivers her own vision of him.

"You probably will not survive through one day of battle. After all, how many times did I or Tanaka have to watch over your back besides ours?"

"Why you…?!"

During the time he spent with the Phantomhive siblings, Diederich learnt not to mess with Frances, be it with actions or words, but the way she just spoke still hurt nonetheless. From what he knows of girls, which is not much, he can say Phantomhive's sister was never raised to be a doll or an ignorant well-born lady, and trying to call her attitude not proper would only bring him trouble.  
He knows her frail appearance is nothing but a clever disguise and since Phantomhive takes her everywhere, he witnessed enough of her in action to stop wondering why she was able to take down men thrice her size after a short while, but it still felt unfair. Especially now that he is confronted to a rather complicated future.

"Maybe I could train you."

Now he is _sure_ he's hearing voices. In all the time he spent in Phantomhive's house, she _never _proposed to do anything for him, besides automatically saving his life from the multiple murder attempts he experienced since leaving Weston. Well, he guesses rescue in itself is already something…

"In all secrecy and with Tanaka's help of course, I know how you hold your ego in such _high_ esteem." From the sound of her voice she is annoyed and sighing, but from the look on her face she is amused. It's such a strange contrast especially when she always seemed so wary of whatever he could do or say.

"Why?" He asks, hoping the answer is simple.

"Did you not say there is nothing more depreciating than disappointing your family when one has no idea where they are even going?"

Did he? He can't remember now.

"Your father is offering you a path and before you decide it is not yours, you should at least try it. However you cannot try going for a life as a soldier, protecting your country and the civilians, when you are not even able to protect your own life."

Just for a minute the German boy considers it under the authority of Frances' cold gaze. Does he even have a choice? He's his father's only remaining son and nobody was ever able to stand up against his severe genitor anyway.

"Fine then," He says in a low voice, a bit begrudgingly because he knows he's in for _a lot_ of pain and trouble, and Frances smiles a little.

It is true people don't always the luxury of a choice and it's something he learnt living in the same world as the Queen's watchdog, discerning a deepening void in Phantomhive's eyes and words a little more with every investigation.  
And he's neither brave nor stupid enough to remind Frances that her brother is doomed when she's the most worried out of them all, because Phantomhive _really_ doesn't have much choice to make about his own life.

* * *

The unexpected should be a view of mind, especially in the world of the Queen's watchdog and his entourage, but it would still take experimented eyes to see it coming, something Vincent and Frances are still too young to have.

"Midford wrote me he graduated from Weston last week and I would not mind seeing him again, for old time's sake. Before I leave for Germany, I mean. So… would you invite him for dinner?"

"Why don't you invite him yourself, Dee?"

"It is not exactly _my_ house here Phantomhive, and I was raised properly."

Vincent chuckles but agrees anyway. He remembers he rather liked the blond boy and his cheerful attitude as well, and he sees no harm to a peaceful dinner '_for old time's sake_'. He knows Frances will be reluctant because of that fencing tournament the year before, even if he doesn't exactly get why, but he sees this dinner more as a way to please Diederich, since he knows the other boy has been feeling down about his own future, even if he would never admit it.

He sends an invitation and the day soon comes when he welcomes a punctual and taller Alexis Leon Midford in the hall of the Phantomhive manor. Dinner is peaceful indeed, just like Vincent thought it would be, even though Frances does not speak much. Their guest sounds to have matured as well and Vincent suddenly realizes he's probably expected to take after his father's position as the Head Knight at some point in a near future now that he graduated from Weston, just like Diederich is supposed to embrace the military career in order to become his father's heir.

It feels like Weston is so far in the past for him, when just a year actually passed since he graduated, but then again the Queen's watchdog did not really have time to waste this year. Speaking of time, how long has it been since he last saw the Undertaker?

He's taken out of his reverie when he notices Midford trying to politely engage discussion with his little sister. Frances is keeping her distance, that much is clear to her brother just with the tone of her voice, but it doesn't discourage their guest, albeit his red cheeks give away his awkwardness.

"I was wondering Lady Frances, if you still fence sometimes, would you maybe accept to spar with me?"

"You make it sound very friendly, Lord Midford, is it only a game for you?" Ah, Vincent can sense Frances' distaste growing in her voice already and he slightly taps her hand with two fingers to try pacifying her.

"It's true Lady Frances takes fencing very seriously, Midford," Diederich adds before the blond young man can answer her. However Vincent wonders if it would not be easier for them to accept Midford's request, knowing the younger man already asked twice before since the fencing tournament.

_Rematch against a lady is really a petty goal_, he thinks but he also knows that they and Midford are not of the same world. Frances only needs to defeat him for the second time and it will be enough to dampen his zeal before he gets out of their lives. That's what he whispers to her when Midford excuses himself for a brief moment but Frances still disagrees.

"What if he becomes an enemy one day? I would not want him to know what I can do!"

Her reasoning makes sense but he also knows that it is not with a simple rematch that Midford will understand how to beat his sister.  
Or that's what he keeps telling himself as he gives his agreement to Midford once he's back, and he's slightly taken aback by the honestly _overjoyed_ smile showing on the future Marquis' lips.

_Petty man with a petty goal_, he thinks again, trying not to show his own distaste and not knowing that it was a decision he would sourly regret a few days later.

The Undertaker would have noticed the unexpected.

* * *

Obviously, they all witness Frances win a few days later and Vincent expects that it is probably a victory as easily reached as the first one more than a year ago.

Midford ends up on his knees in the training room, breath ragged and the weapon out of his hand, while his sister gives back her own training sword to Tanaka, not even bothering to salute her opponent at the end of the match. He hears Diederich sigh but it's probably more because he has seen himself a lot in Midford's position and he can understand what the other might be feeling right now. Vincent congratulates his sister with a nod and a smile when she looks at him, a gesture also meaning she's free to leave the room, however…

"Ah, you are… _amazing_! Thank you my Lady!"

Before Frances leaves the room Midford is able to get up, much faster than Vincent expected, a joyful grin plastered on his lips and from the look in his eyes, it's as if nobody but Frances and him are in the room.  
For some reason Midford looks very happy for someone who was just _ridiculed_ by a lady younger than him, but Vincent remembers he was indeed the first member of the Green team who, after the cricket match ended, came to congratulate the Blue team for their victory. Maybe losing is not actually such a big deal for him then?

Oh well, it is over anyway and the blond young man would soon go home.

"My Lady, I hope you will not think badly of me for this request in such poor manners but… Would you maybe agree to train with me on a regular basis?"

_Beat him once more, you said. He will not ask for more, you said._

Oh if looks could kill, Vincent certainly would not still be of this world. Frances' growing irritation, mixed to some confusion, is very palpable even to someone barely knowing her and he's afraid she'll snap right there and decide to completely crush the fool who is annoying her.

"Unfortunately Midford, it would not exactly be _proper_," he intervenes before things get sour, accentuating each word with an entirely _fake_ smile while Diederich fidgets awkwardly, sensing the beginning of a possibly violent altercation. "Why don't you ask qualified fencing professors to train with you?"

"Ah, I can understand your worry Phantomhive, but I do not intend to blabber about it everywhere! In truth, I... have defeated all my teachers a long time ago and I have not found any good opponents for a while. Until the fencing tournament last year when Lady Frances beat me, that is! That's why I was wondering…"

_So that was your goal all along, huh… Looks like I've been had, it was badly played of me. _All thoughts about Midford's actual strength and intelligence aside, Vincent has to think of a way to refuse categorically before the blond young man invades his sister's life even more.  
It was indeed a bad idea to accept a rematch and he will apologize to Frances later, because it seems the younger man only waited for such an occasion to request what was _really_ on his mind.

"That is a very nice offer and we sure feel honored by your kind proposition," He feels obligated to include Frances directly as he answers, otherwise Midford could insist. "However, I think I speak for my sister as well when I say it would be better if you were to find another fencing _companion_ for your training." Actually, Frances' eyes are expressing 'never' rather than just a polite 'no' but Vincent cannot exactly put it as bluntly to his guest.

"Ah…," Midford says, disappointed, "Well, I can understand. However Lady Frances, if you ever change your mind…" It doesn't escape Vincent's attention that the other's words are directly meant for his sister and for her only, even though he's the one who answered for her in the first place, and he grows worried. He took for granted that he could see through Midford's intentions perfectly because they frequently talked during his last year at Weston but he wasn't expecting this.

The time to see Midford off _finally_ comes and they're following Tanaka to the manor's entrance when the future Head Knight suddenly seems to remember he has something else to ask.

"By the way Phantomhive, I was wondering if you knew anything about a woman named **Edith Brodinger**?"

The question is so unexpected and _unconnected_ to whatever else happened in the afternoon that Vincent should have realized upon hearing it that maybe Midford had more than one way in mind to bother the Phantomhive family…

"No, I have never even heard her name?"

"Ah I'm not surprised. She was a very talented and beautiful Opera singer it seems, born from a middle class family but she soon gained fame and wealth thanks to her beautiful voice."

"Talent can be born anywhere indeed."

"However she disappeared ten years ago or so, which is maybe why you never heard about her."

… And Tanaka's sudden change of expression (from a smile to a frown, something Midford could not see) _definitely_ should have been his first clue.

"Ten years ago? Did she die?"

"Well… I was hoping you could have maybe answered that question. You see…" Midford stops for a few seconds, seemingly hesitant as to what words he should pronounce next. "Around that time, rumors were circulating that she found herself a lover of higher birth, and both were happy but the lord was married."

"Not such a rare story then." Frances intervenes with a monotone voice and Diederich agrees with a nod.

"Yes indeed my Lady, but their story ended up rashly when both disappeared without a trace."

"Well who knows, maybe they ran away together? It happens sometimes." Vincent offers as an explanation with a polite smile, still failing to see why this has anything to do with him.

"I doubt it. After all, you once told me that her lover was dead so I am thinking she might be as well."

"_I_ told you her lover was dead?!"

"Master…" Tanaka tries to interrupt but Vincent doesn't even hear him.

"Yes you did, when you once mentioned last year that your father lost his life ten years ago or so."

"I am afraid I do not understand—"

"Vincent…" Frances says suddenly and she seems to have trouble breathing, as if she just realized something terrible, but before she can speak some more, Midford reveals entirely what he has been trying to say since the beginning.

"Edith Brodinger's lover was the previous Earl Phantomhive. In other words, she was your father's_ mistress_ and I am asking if you know what happened to her, considering you buried your father ten years ago."

Incomprehension, unfinished trails of thoughts and memories mix inside Vincent's mind right after Midford is done talking. Edit Brodinger, an opera singer and his father, the previous Earl Phantomhive… Ten years ago… Disappeared… **Dead**…

_The fire. And Mother…! She… _

He remembers his mother's story on her death bed two years ago, as well as her pain and tears; it's something he will never forget as long as he breathes.

_So Edith Brodinger was her name? I never knew. _

Does it matter though? His mother was never the same after that pair of _assholes_ got rid of her for the wrong reasons after all.

Midford is not saying anything, staring at him in a curious way, as if he is _sorry_ to ask for old familial secrets, but Vincent is certainly not going to betray his mother's memory just to satisfy the unhealthy curiosity of someone prying too far _and_ bothering him and his sister way too much.

"Get out."

"Master!" Tanaka's voice sounds wrathful, just like the tone he would use to reprimand him when Vincent was younger.

A time when Mother was still alive and _happier_.

"Get out."

In fairness to the blond young man, one has to admit he isn't easily disturbed by Vincent's verbally aggressive repartee.

**_Very _**_badly played Vincent … _A voice says inside his head and it sounds like his mother's.  
He definitely should have let Frances crush that annoying fool earlier…

* * *

"You were _rude_."

"It is none of your business, Diederich."

"Midford was just asking _a question_."

Vincent can't help a sigh at that because he heard the same speech from Tanaka and Brenda an hour before (the old governess had literally been fuming with rage and disappointment over his insulting attitude) and he can't bear to hear it from Diederich's mouth as well, considering the German himself is prone to yell rudely at every opportunity he has.

Deep inside, he knows what he did was foolish because his reaction can only fuel Midford's curiosity, however the harm is done. He doesn't care why the future Marquis would want to find out about the details of a famous opera singer's death and he won't change his mind on the fact that nobody will bother his mother now that she can finally rest in peace.

Nobody needs to know and Midford _won't_ find out.

"You agree, don't you?" is what he asks Frances a few days after the incident, when he catches her staring at one page in her book for a dozen of minutes without reading, but his sister sighs.

"There still was a better way to say it. He seems to be foolishly persistent so I am afraid we are not done with him yet."

"If you say so."

To say it truthfully, he can't exactly care less than right now about Midford, even if his sister is probably right. He still has this important case about that ever growing Italian drug cartel and their new _experiment_ they're trying to sell to the masses to keep him busy. Time is of the essence in this particular case and he decides he will deal with Midford later, if the other ever comes back asking for more.

However, things take yet another unexpected turn when Tanaka hands him a neatly folded letter in an envelope the following evening.

"It just arrived," his butler says.

In the middle of the evening? Who does that?

With some interest, Vincent opens the letter slowly but the contents soon bring astonishment instead to his face as he reads.

"Vincent?" He hears his sister's slightly worried inquiry but does not answer.

Diederich enters the salon at the precise moment he is done reading. Almost shoving the letter in the German's face, his voice is a low growl for the first time in nearly a year.

"I thought you said Midford was harmless?"

"Wh—?!"

"Is _blackmail_ harmless to you?!"

Absolutely confused and pushing Vincent away so he can finally see what this is all about, Diederich takes the letter to read it, Frances looking as well from behind his shoulder.

_To the Queen's watchdog,_

_As you can read, I am well aware of your secret identity. If you do not wish to see it revealed and have your life endangered, you will have to fulfill my conditions and I will keep silent in return.  
I am hereby asking for your sister's hand with this letter and dare you refuse my demand, you will face the consequences with the Italian drug cartel you are currently chasing after. _

_Bring her to me on Thursday at midnight at the place indicated on the second paper. _

Looking away from the paper (_of course_ it's not signed) once he's done reading, Diederich can't help the surprised and rude expression coming out of his lips while Frances gasps way too loudly and rips the letter off his hands, showing it to Tanaka.

"So?" Vincent demands impatiently with a frown instead of his usual smile. "Will you say again that Midford is a nice and inoffensive young man?"

"Wait, Phantomhive—"

"How dare he?!" Frances almost spits, foaming with rage. "I am going to make him swallow my sword—"

"It's not Midford's writing! Both of you _calm down_!"

"For God's sake, stop defending him!"

"Frances, I am not! He was my _fag_, he handed over to me many of his writing papers, I can definitely tell you it is _not_ his handwriting!"

However Vincent doesn't blink an eye, more concentrated on trying to keep his calm. The coincidence of this blackmailing letter arriving right after he sent Midford on his merry way, when the future Marquis wanted information on something linked to one of the Queen's Watchdogs, is definitely suspicious. This could be Midford's revenge in more way than one, especially considering he _did_ seem quite taken by Frances. In that case, he thinks maybe sending Tanaka after him is the best answer.

"He could have asked one of the servants to write the letter for him, Dee," he still says, trying to find an explanation to Diederich's problem. "Especially since he knows you are living here."

"He is not that kind of man!"

"Hard to judge, would you not say? He did trick us earlier with the rematch hiding his intention to regularly train with Frances, and let's not forget the questions about my mother's husband."

"It is an elegant handwriting Phantomhive, and he would not be stupid enough to attack you like that if he really knew who you are!"

"Then who is it?!" Frances intervenes, her face having lost all colors, an understandable reaction since someone outside is bold enough (one could also say stupid) to threaten her brother and bargain her future at the same time.

Only half-hearing Diederich's pleading about his fag, Vincent focuses on the distinct feeling that the more he thinks about the handwriting on the paper, the more it definitely starts looking slightly _familiar_ to him. Like an old memory he buried many months ago. But why does it feel that way?

The writing perfectly cursive, almost in an obsessive way, the condescending and ordering tone of the letter… _Why do I feel like I've seen this many times before? On small papers… Always full of orders… Condescending and pompous…_

And then he remembers in an instant, but what seems to be the reality of things does not please him. It's definitely not Midford's handwriting, it's someone else's who was also quite taken by his sister at that time…

"It's Hampton's handwriting," he says, cutting through Diederich and Frances' argument.

"Who?" they ask at the same time before looking at each other in surprise.

"Eric Hampton, the prefect for Blue House when I was in my third year at Weston. I served as his fag for the biggest part of the year. He was quite fond of you, little sister," he adds while Frances looks disgusted.

"I think I remember him," his fag says. "Manicured hands and nails?"

"God, _always_."

"Is there any chances you told him about the duty of the Watchdog, master?" Tanaka asks with a frown. He looks as worried as Frances and frankly, Vincent can't blame him.

"Of course not, Tanaka, I am not _that_ careless."

However the situation is much more complicated than Vincent presumably thought at first. The fact that Hampton seemingly knows both about his work and his current investigation means trouble. Of course, someone from Scotland Yard could have talked with some bribery, but there is also the possibility that his manor is monitored from the outside. He briefly wonders if Midford and Hampton could be accomplices, one man using the other maybe, which would explain the questions of Midford towards Edith Brodinger's death eleven years ago, but he does not see what the blond young man would gain from such partnership.

Unless Frances is supposed to be _shared _by the two of them, but the thought gives him too many cold chills. He will protect his sister no matter what. To the Phantomhive family, the whole world can be an enemy if needs be and he'll crush anyone endangering them.

"We have to find out how he discovered about you, master. Let me investigate," Tanaka asks. Of course an investigation is necessary, but if Hampton is keeping an eye on all of them, finding answers will be more complicated. Still, nobody is more discreet than Tanaka when it comes to seeking information.  
However before Vincent can give his approval, a masculine and rasping voice, long time no heard of, offers an answer that nobody in the room expected.

"There is no need to waste your time~. Turns out I might already have the answer to your question, see, heheh~!"

And Vincent immediately knows who is standing behind him without having to turn around, even though it has been two years since he last saw his mother's peculiar old friend.

"Well, hasn't it been a long time," He says with a true smile on his lips, welcoming his new guest and feeling something like relief flowing all over him, "I believe you could not have chosen a better timing."

"It seems so indeed, Earl," the Undertaker answers, clad in black from head to toe and his never changing smile and scar adorning his face like always.

* * *

_ "You have the strangest pair of eyes."_

_"As in they can see through every part of you, even the ones you are trying to hide so very carefully? That's what I've been told before yes~."_

_"No, that is not what I meant at all. I believe they reveal quite a lot about _you_ actually."_

_"Now now, that's just—"_

_"Like an open book," she says, stopping him from talking as she presses the tip of one finger against the long scar on his face, tracing it lightly from one end to the other, and his eyes widen under her touch as light as a feather. "They speak of what you have been through."_

_"And how would _you_ know, dear Countess~?"_

_ "Were you not the one who said you only knew about death?"_

_"That was not something to take literally unfortunately my Lady~! And ones who know about death have to know about life first anyway. Otherwise, wouldn't you say it makes _no_ sense?"_

_That's a lie and from the jaded expression on her face, she figured it out immediately. _

_"You should let me teach you about life."_

_That sends him into uncontrollable fits of laughter. Ah, she has a magnificent sense of humor. _

_"I was serious." Her voice holds a slightly vexed tone._

_"You shouldn't be~. The light in your eyes diminish when you are."_

_A silence._

_"It is a pity my eyes interest you more than whatever else I could teach you."_

_"I'd rather say it's a pity you're not immune to compliments yourself~. And here I thought you wouldn't be so unoriginal…!" _

_"Don't look too proud, it is not gentlemanly to bother a lady that way. I could leave."_

_"Now _that_ would be a real pity~."_

_She smiles._

_"Exactly. So will you listen to me now, or do I have to make my point by closing the door behind me after I get out?"_

_He laughs._

_"Well then, in that case, I just might."_

* * *

"Who in hell is that guy?!"

"Calm down Dee."

The Undertaker's arrival certainly almost started chaos in Vincent's living room, as if the older man's weird looks are not already enough to provide concern to people barely knowing him. And between Diederich's confusion, Frances' anger and Tanaka's worry, his mother's old friend appearing to be rather relaxed does not exactly suit with the others' feelings and the rather electric atmosphere.

He has not changed one bit, just like last time, and Vincent feels like the two years he was gone never happened. It's such a strange feeling. The older man's return certainly feels like a good omen though, especially since he brings information. It's a good start to resolve the mess he seems to have carelessly stepped into.

Since the mortician came all the way to the manor, Vincent spares them the small talk and immediately speaks business. After all, he would not have come if it was not important, right?

"So, what have you discovered?"

"Straight to the point, aren't you… Oh Earl, are you in such a hurry~? It's been two years and Thursday is still three days away after all~."

After a few minutes of questions, Vincent soon realizes that whatever the mortician knows, he won't answer now, not even for laughter according to the man himself and that worries Vincent a little, knowing how effective laughter always was with him. Wouldn't it be so late, Vincent would have insisted to know his reasons but the Undertaker is a man even he knows he sometimes cannot defeat.

"It doesn't matter where your little blackmailing friend found his information, Earl~. Take care of the problem first, we'll speak of the source later."

Sighing of disappointment, and even though he would have liked to question the Undertaker on his absence, he advises the rest of the room to end it there for the evening, promising to come up with a plan the next day and feeling himself totally exhausted. However, the night feels long and restless and no good ideas have yet to come to him by the time the sun rises.

Not that he has many choices in the first place of course, since he certainly won't hand his sister over to anyone, especially not someone blackmailing him and that he personally despises. Starting from here, the solution is rather obvious.

"Tanaka and I will go to the meeting point on Thursday and we will take care of him and whoever else he will bring," he announces at breakfast to his fag and the mortician. As if any enemy of the Queen's watchdog could have a different fate.

Diederich immediately disagrees as Vincent thought he would, thinking there is probably something better to do but, of course, he can't come up with anything when Vincent asks him for another plan. The Undertaker's answer however is _not_ what he expected.

"Two years I'm gone and the Earl's ego is the biggest I've ever seen." His voice is mocking but strangely serious as well and Vincent feels offended. For a man who has info but doesn't want to share, he certainly has a big mouth. Especially when they haven't seen each other in practically two years.

"Forgive me for having to protect my sister from ill-intentioned bastards." His answer is sharp and biting, and it's probably the very first time he speaks so coldly to the man he has known for over a decade.

"Well…~ Forgive _me_ for speaking my mind Earl. I didn't know I had to pretend being blind now that you've become the Queen's personal little _mutt_." This time, even though the tone of his voice and his smile don't change, the mortician's phosphorescent eyes turn deadly cold and Vincent feels a pang of something like fear passing through him quickly, while an astonished Diederich strongly coughs in the background. Breathing through his nose, Vincent fights not to avert his eyes under the terrible pressure he feels from the older man facing him but it is far from simple.

Frances' entrance in the dining room puts a stop to the silent contest between them but his sister immediately notices the odd atmosphere and raises an eyebrow in confusion. The dark circles under her eyes prove that she probably didn't have a good night either.  
Before she can ask what's wrong though, he exposes his plan to make Hampton disappear on Thursday without endangering her, explaining how he has to make sure at first that Midford is not involved with him. Despite Diederich's protest that his fag has nothing to do with it, Vincent is adamant on this point, still not trusting the future Head Knight.

As if to continuously mock him, Frances' reaction to his plan is far from what he expects as well and he certainly is not ready for a fight against his sister.

"You want to kill him?!"

Vincent raises his eyebrows at his sister's disbelief.

"And what am I supposed to do if not that? Leave him be and wait for him to blackmail us even more? I'll remind you that he wants to marry _you_."

Yet Frances is furious.

"Scaring or pressuring Hampton would be enough! You have the power to do that, his family probably has some hidden secrets, they all do, especially considering his actual behavior. Still, he is not part of the Underworld, Vincent, and he certainly is not a fighter. There is no _need_ to kill him!"

"As far as I am concerned, scaring someone does not always prove to work. We do not even know who he might have told about us! I still think it is too risky to leave him be."

"Vincent… He thinks blackmail_ without_ proof for his allegations will be sufficient to control one of the Queen's major pawns! He is _not _a clever man, so try to be the better man here, use his weaknesses but _don't_ take his life!"

"She is right, Phantomhive," Diederich intervenes, "Besides, if he dies, his family will want to know why and I am not sure the Queen will cover for your actions if it is not about one of your investigations."

Vincent leaves his chair at this moment to put himself between Diederich and Frances, at an equal distance of his two opponents, letting his eyes travel from his sister to his fag. The Undertaker is the last still sitting, observing the scene silently.

"I cannot exactly do my duty to the Queen if I let every man trying to cross me live. He might not be a real danger, or from the Underworld, but if people from the Underworld were to steal that information from him… We could _all_ die." Turning to stare into Frances' eyes, he adds dead serious, "Like Mother."

"Don't you dare…!" Frances almost spits, her eyes narrowing. "Mother died because of her own carelessness." Her words hurt more than Vincent would like to admit, because it sounds like she holds their mother responsible for her own death while he blames their enemies, all now dead and buried.

"And so could _we_, Frances, if we are to let Hampton live. I am aware it is a gamble but I cannot risk the lives of anybody living under my protection."

"Your _protection_?!" It is Diederich's turn to look particularly offended but he does not have time to speak his mind further because the Undertaker's calm voice settles the argument.

"You know, you should really listen to others sometimes, Earl~, and not always to your _ego_…"

And Vincent can't believe his misfortune. It's three against one.

He lost.

"Well…" Tightening his fists under the angry pressure building in his body, he fights himself in order not to shake or show how hurt he is. "If you _all _agree, I suppose you would do well to find a solution that will not leave blood on the carpet, since it seems to be what would please everyone! I will be in my room." And on that he leaves, avoiding slamming the door but only because it might cause Mrs. Brenda a heart attack, and not at all because it would make him look like a petulant child.

Silence reigns in the dining room after his departure, until Diederich sighs and says:

"At least Hampton won't have to die for his stupidity…"

Throwing him an ironic look before laughing, the Undertaker retorts, "And how idiotic are _you_, German boy?" Then turning to look at Frances with an even larger smile, the mortician asks:

"You know he is still going to do it, right?"

* * *

_See you next week end with the last chapter, in which everything will find closure (I swear it's true this time)._

_Btw, the characters in the flashbacks should be easy enough to recognize and I just couldn't resist okay? Yes, I have _failed_ to be a reasonable shipper. _

_I still hope you enjoyed it though. :)_


	7. Vincent and Frances, to their futures

_Last chapter is here, see I kinda respected my dealines this time. __Wow, it feels weird to say it's the last chapter. Beware though, because it's HELLA long (so I'm happy I didn't post it in one go as I originally wanted). _

_Try to enjoy it okay? And I have to say I'll enjoy a little review myself, with your thoughts in return if possible (constructive criticism over the entire story is always helpful). :) _

_Also, there is a lot of discussions between the characters but it was the only way the story would flow naturally so I hope it won't be too awkward or OCC with you. I'll also say that what's happening in ch4 is important for this chapter. :)_

**_Disclaimer: Any characters you can recognize from the original story are the property of Yana Toboso._**

* * *

**Blossoming in the Dark**

_Chapter_ _7 : Vincent and Frances, to their futures_

After the argument, Thursday comes quickly and Vincent has never been in such a vexed mood for so long before, at least not since their mother's death. His eyes remain cold and his face deadpan the whole time, occasionally a bitter smile finding its way to his lips during the meals and while it makes Diederich sigh, Frances is worried.

The Undertaker is right of course, even if Vincent hasn't mentioned anything about Hampton since that conversation they had at breakfast, and Frances doesn't know how she will stop her brother from carrying out his plan, knowing that Tanaka can't refuse to obey him, no matter what he thinks of Vincent's choice. No, the only way is to convince him to give it up, otherwise he would still attempt to do as he thinks is the best, no matter if everyone afterwards hate him.

Vincent Phantomhive is a man like that. And his sister is looking for something that she might have forgotten to stop him.

Alone with her unoriginal and gloomy thoughts in the library on Thursday late afternoon, she doesn't notice at first when Diederich steps in, a firm expression on his face.

"Frances, I am thinking of accompanying your brother tonight. To try reasoning him and Hampton. If I stand between the two of them, I doubt Phantomhive or Mr. Tanaka will attack. What do you think?"

She's doubly surprised to realize he took the time to think about it on his own but also that he's asking for her opinion and she considers it silently for a short while.

"We never know who Hampton might bring with him, so you should not put yourself in any danger inconsiderately." Huffing while sitting, Diederich reminds her that he has been doing _way_ better at fighting these last two months, since she started training him, and she smiles."It is not about you being weak, Diederich, it is about what could be unexpected."

"Well, isn't Tanaka there for the unexpected?"

He has a point. It's indeed supposed to be the butler's job but she doubts Diederich's plan can work anyway. Trying to change Vincent's mind once he decided something is like trying to climb onto a horse already galloping, so in other words: near impossible.

"But if I don't try… Who is going to stop your brother? That mortician left yesterday and he said he would not be a part of this, so this means only you and me can stop your brother's stupid plan before it is too late."

"I know," Frances whispers, eyes staring into emptiness. "Only you and me. It _kills_ me to let Vincent win this round when there are so many other options…" Sighing almost too loudly to be proper, she adds, "Hampton's family position is barely important in politics, even though it is true his father is an honorary knight, and all they have is this dubious fortune… We could have used that, and I _would_ go to investigate immediately but I can't get out until we at least know how Hampton found out about—"

Diederich jumping up on his feet interrupts her and she stares at him in disbelief.

"Wait, what did you say about Hampton's family? His father is a knight?"

"Well, in title only like many— Wait, Diederich?!" Bewildered, Frances wonders if this sudden shock might come from his realization that a knight's son could do something so _contrary _to honor and moral or if it's completely different, but he is already past the door frame and running somewhere before she can ask.

Sprinting towards Vincent's bedroom, Diederich opens without knocking and Vincent merely blinks at the irruption, not even able to open his mouth before his fag speaks, out of breath:

"If I try a plan on my own, will you let me act and not leave before the meeting time?"

"It depends on—"

"_Yes or no_? Do you trust me at least a little? I need you to let me try without you doing anything unwanted in the meantime."

Truthfully, Diederich only half-hopes to see Phantomhive agreeing to a plan he isn't directly involved with, especially when he already took his decision, and the German anxiously awaits as the other takes the time to reflect on his proposition while keeping eye contact. He's probably wondering what Diederich thinks he found in order to stop him, but when he's unable to find a suitable answer by himself, he lets out a sigh and waves his hand.

"Try whatever you want. I doubt the idea you currently have in mind will offer the best security for the future, but I will allow it, go and _try_."

Oh if Diederich could punch him, he certainly would (he's not exactly sure what's actually stopping him though) and he doesn't miss the bitter irony in the other young man's voice, forcing himself not to react. Phantomhive has been a pain in the butt to him most of the time for at least two years, and the more he stays here, the less chance he has that his plan will actually work anyway.

Waiting while Tanaka is readying a carriage, he passes by Frances still looking confused, and he presses her to keep her brother in sight until he's back. He avoids answering her when she asks for an explanation, and she certainly doesn't look happy about it, but at least he makes sure to have her realize he has a plan to offer. When she finally accepts to keep an eye on her brother, it's when he smiles: Frances and he ended up developing a rather good bond upon training together and he internally bets that she trusts half the opportunity he offers even without knowing all about it.

If his plan works… Then Phantomhive would have to admit for the first time since Diederich has known him that he was _wrong_ and it's like a part of the German can't wait for it.  
Vincent Phantomhive taken down from his pedestal and Frances safe, it's definitely enough motivation.

It's only in the carriage that he realizes it's the first time he actually does something absolutely _voluntarily_ for Phantomhive and his sister and he wonders why this time is different from all the other opportunities he didn't take before.  
Until recently, it always was Phantomhive and his sister on one side and him on the other, the two working for their Queen while Diederich was only linked to the brother because of a stupid bet. He never saw himself responsible for any decision Phantomhive would take, it was always the _other_'s doing as the Queen's watchdog, but it's different now.

And when did that change?

_Maybe when Father brought me back to reality._

He never cautioned Phantomhive's work before, always believing that _he_ was the one on the good side, but now that he's going to embrace a military career himself and _protect_ his country, he isn't blind anymore.

There _aren't_ different sides. What Phantomhive and his family are to do in the shadows, soldiers do it in broad day light, and while honor is used to make fools believe losing their life at war is worth doing, it's still politics that govern it all. A soldier refusing to go to war will lose his honor and his life the same way Phantomhive will if he refuses to taint his hands for his Queen.

Two years Diederich has watched Phantomhive walking by, smiling and _lying_ (it always is the same acting and it's annoying) and he always told himself he would never be as foul as the young man he used to hate but learned to more or less respect.

However being blind is an even bigger sin because ignorance is _never_ a bliss.

_Maybe I don't want him to have unnecessary blood on his hands…_

Because that's what Hampton is, an unnecessary complication.  
A complication he will try to solve, making it a gift to the Phantomhives for opening his eyes to the real world.

They at least deserve that for what they both taught him about surviving the world's stupidity.

Now if only his plan could work…

* * *

Later in the beginning of the evening Frances sees time flowing but Diederich still isn't back from wherever he went to.

"Frances, please stand aside."

…And she can't eternally retain her brother from leaving either.

"I would ask you to come with me but seeing as you are what Hampton wants, I think it would be better if you were to stay here."

Desperately out of idea and Vincent annoying her, she thinks about grabbing a weapon and knocking her brother on the head with it but Tanaka certainly wouldn't let them hurt each other and Hampton definitely _needs_ to be dealt with anyway.

Just not _permanently._

On the one hand, if Vincent doesn't go, then there is no way to tell what Hampton could do to retaliate (_speaking around_ would be her best guess though_, _especially to that Italian drug cartel Vincent is currently after). However if Vincent _goes_, then Hampton's life is sure to end dramatically, especially with Tanaka around, and the consequences would be too numerous to elaborate on.

If worst comes to worst, Hampton's family could demand vengeance or trial to the Queen, depending on what Hampton already told them, because Vincent definitely can't shut up an entire family. Well, he _could_, but that's exactly why this situation in the hall of their manor is happening in the first place.

She won't deny that Hampton is far from anything good, and in due time he could eventually become a real threat, but killing under the Queen's orders is different from killing someone barking too loudly. After all, for all Frances knows, it could be Vincent's mistake that caused Hampton to become aware of their family's duty in the first place.

The pretext doesn't even matter; her brother can't become a full-fledged murderer because someone pretends playing a better game than him. Their mother paid the price of such acts and Vincent _can't_ die like her. She won't accept it and she'll do what she has to in order to make sure it doesn't happen.

_If that is all I can think of… If I don't have any more resources, then maybe the only solution will be to…_

The sound of a carriage approaching quickly outside interrupts her thoughts and she catches herself hoping Diederich is finally back when Tanaka quickly opens the door, greeting not only her brother's German friend but also…

"You?!" Her brother sounds indignant and Frances herself is confused.

It's indeed him.

Midford.

* * *

Honestly, before seeing Midford, Vincent should have definitely understood upon seeing Diederich smiling.

Because it's a rare occurrence actually, if not to say that Vincent probably _never _saw him smiling so openly and Diederich's smile is joyful and speaking of success, which makes Vincent thinks that for once his fag probably had a good idea. A rare occurrence as well.

Midford's presence doesn't make the slightest sense to him however, especially knowing how the last time they talked wasn't what could be called _friendly_, but the blond young man still stands in his hall as if nothing happened, a calm look in his dark green eyes as if Vincent never came close to throwing him out of this manor.

"What are _you_ doing here?"

"Phantomhive, stop! Midford took care of Hampton, that is why I brought him here."

Midford? Taking care of _Hampton_? How and why? So was Midford involved with Hampton after all but Diederich bid higher?!

If his fag hoped to spare them some moments of awkward and tensed silence, well frankly he was wrong, because his words don't explain anything for Vincent and Frances doesn't look like she understands either.

In the end, after a few moments of scratching his head hesitantly and not knowing where to begin, Diederich opens the path to the library, pushing the blond young man to speak first once inside, thinking he might probably explain better. Well frankly, he is wrong there again.

"It's nice to meet her Majesty's watchdog," Midford begins to say with a very serious tone but bowing his head slightly, making it impossible to know whether or not he is smiling. And no one knows what would have happened had Tanaka been absent at this moment, but Vincent's eyes made him look like he was ready to jump at Midford's throat upon hearing words one could consider trivial and far from unbecoming.

"I told him," Diederich intervenes, looking annoyed at Vincent's attitude going way overboard. "He did _not _know who you were before I explained the situation."

And the situation had been explained simply, Diederich telling Midford that Hampton had blackmailed Phantomhive about his secret duty to the Queen in exchange for a wedding with Phantomhive's sister. Obviously he had explained first what Vincent's job was all about and if Midford had initially looked surprised, it hadn't lasted long.

"Frances is the one who told me that Hampton's father was a knight," the German adds, "and since she also mentioned something about a questionable fortune, I realized that if someone knew about them, it had to be Midford."

"Your father is the Head Knight," Frances realizes suddenly, speaking directly to the blond young man and cursing herself inwardly for not thinking about it before, "that's why Diederich went to you."

"Phantomhive," Diederich says turning to Vincent still passably angry, "did you know that one part of the Head Knight's work is to keep tabs on all the other knights? It is not something they are aware of, obviously, but it turned out to be quite useful."

"So Hampton's fortune…?"

"It is not exactly _fake_ per say, but it was not acquired only by legal means either," Midford answers with a cordial expression. "My father has known about them for years but since they did not try to use their money for outrageous means and behaved well until… well, _today_, there was no need to use this information before."

"But you used it tonight…" Vincent concludes, realizing at the same time that it probably meant he didn't have to go to London anymore.

"I did," Midford confirms. "Lord Hampton does not wish for any punishment for his little shenanigans and will tame his son's… _problematic_ tendencies. Also, knowing that Eric Hampton is his father's heir and that Lord Hampton's money will one day be his, I can promise you at least a few years of reprieve." Though before anyone could answer to this, Midford adds with a rather dangerous tone, "I will personally go have a talk with him tomorrow, but him keeping on blackmailing you will only force me to blackmail _his_ family in return and I am sure he will not find the prospect to be too endearing."

"And you actually think it will be sufficient?" Vincent asks, his eyes narrowing and no smile at all on his lips, not caring at all if Midford knew about his initial plan of dealing with Hampton _permanently_ or if he just realized.

"It proved to work for my father many times in the past, Lord Phantomhive. I am willing to give it a try as well for Hampton's case."

"It worked with his father and it will certainly work with him," Diederich says impatiently. "Midford actually knows way more than he lets on."

Hearing that, the future Head Knight flushes slightly and Vincent lets out a long sigh.

It is hard to stomach but that long _Hamptonish_ nightmare finally seems to be coming to an end and he suddenly feels exhausted. He wonders how it's possible that Midford seems to know so much and yet pretends not to be aware of the Phantomhive family's duty. Could it be a lie? Was he aware of everything before Diederich told him, and him asking about Edith Brodinger was just a way to confirm what he had found out about the Queen's watchdogs?

Vincent's uneasiness won't quiet down, not even after Hampton was maybe proven to be taken care of. He finds Midford to be incredibly worrying, especially since he had no idea until a few minutes ago that the Head Knight had himself a power over the other Knights in the Queen's name slightly similar to his own over the Underworld.

Midford wins in any case, because he stopped Hampton and now Vincent is in his debt. And considering their previous discussion, the young earl can easily guess what the other will ask in return…

"So… Hampton is now harmless?" Frances asks slowly, still unsure about how quickly everything seemed to be solved.

"Yes," Diederich confirms with a smile, pointing to his ex-fag. "Thanks to him."

However Diederich's smile soon fades as he turns to Vincent.

"As thanks for getting rid of Hampton, I believe he deserves some _answers_, Phantomhive," And turning to look at his fag, he adds, "If you still want them of course, Midford."

There is a harsh glint in the German's eyes, as if he is daring Vincent to refuse if the blond young man says yes, but the young earl sighs in defeat. Ah, he expected this from the moment Midford started talking and there is no way he can escape this anymore… Especially not with Midford now aware of his duty to the Queen and totally fine with the idea of blackmail as a solution to a _human problem_.

"You're right Diederich, you're right."

Turning to face Midford, he takes a deep breath through his nose, trying to steady his heart and getting ready within himself to reveal something he swore would never pass his lips a few days before. He does not want to admit it but Midford did something he did not have to do to preserve a large part of his family's secrets and he hates having unpaid debts more than anything else.

"I owe you many thanks and answers indeed, Midford. However, first you need to understand that my mother… She suffered a lot from everything that happened because of… _her husband_ having an affair. As a result, I do not know much myself because she never wanted to speak about it."

"That seems understandable and I wish I did not have to pry but—"

Raising a hand, Vincent stops him from speaking such poor excuses.

"It seems you saved my sister's future and the secret of my identity as the Queen's watchdog. Furthermore, the fact you are now aware about my duty to Her Majesty is linked to what you wanted to know, so there is no need to apologize."

Midford nods at his words and keeps quiet, probably bracing himself for the dark story that he's already imagining in his head. Taking another deep breath and his eyes looking glassy, Vincent starts reminiscing.

There is no going back. No way out.

He has to give up.

"So, Edith Brodinger… Right?"

He is losing once again and Midford is winning.

"When I said I did not know who Edith Brodinger was, I was not lying," He starts, focusing on speaking slowly. "Frances and I were never told her name, even though we knew the one who was called 'the Queen's watchdog' at that time was cheating on his wife, our mother. As a result, he… started to _avoid_ his duty, preferring to join Ms. Brodinger in a townhouse in London rather than to work on solving the Queen's… _problems_."

Each word is hard to pronounce and he needs to pause after every sentence, but he manages to tell it all. How his mother noticed about the affair but still chose to take on her husband's duty to the Queen for the family's sake, while he was losing himself in another woman's arms. How aggressive his father was, seeing his wife getting all the credit, each time leaving the manor a little longer and always coming back more bitter and violent, when it was his wife who was working the hardest.

"Finally one morning, Mother was home and we were breakfasting -it was rare at that time when Mother could spend more than three days with us- when two inspectors from Scotland Yard came to this very manor bringing news that the townhouse belonging to our family had burnt during the night and that they had discovered two bodies inside."

"A fire?" Midford asks in disbelief and Vincent nods, keeping on lying with all his heart and soul, not even blinking an eye and betraying himself.

"Yes. I do not know why but that man would never take any servant with him whenever he would leave to join her. Maybe it was to preserve the illusion that it was supposed to be a secret affair when a lot of people knew?" Vincent shrugs. "In any case, that is why they found only two bodies inside the house. At that time Scotland Yard could not decide whether it was accidental or criminal. He was the actual Watchdog to the Underworld's eyes and to Scotland Yard after all."

"Did they ever find out which one it was?"

"No," Vincent answers with an even voice. "They offered to investigate, for Mother's sake, but the Queen summoned Mother soon after the incident and they decided that there was no need to know. The Queen ordered Scotland Yard to sweep the case under the rug, to avoid curious eyes and so that Mother could be left in peace as she officially took up the duty of the Watchdog. We buried him after that, but no one cried about him on that day or on any other after."

"And your father's mistress?" This time it is Diederich who asks.

"I think she was buried anonymously, but I am not sure. Mother did not care one bit about either of them and she never liked to bring up the subject, so unfortunately that is all I know."

Silence fills the room for a few minutes after he's done speaking, the two other young men lost in their own thoughts while Vincent does not feel anything at all.  
No happiness at the thought he was able to lie so well and fool everyone, no shame at the fact he would discredit himself forever if Diederich or Midford were to find out that almost nothing of what he just said was true.

From the other side of the room, he feels the weight of Frances' eyes on him, but she does not say anything. He tries to guess what she could be feeling, if she is ashamed or angry because he offered nothing but lies to the man who saved her from Hampton, or if she does not care just like him, but then he realizes that it does not matter if she agrees or not.

Their mother deserves to rest in peace and if that means Vincent has to lie to the whole world in retaliation then he will.

"You hate him, don't you?" This time again it is Diederich who is speaking, with a skeptical voice, making him come to his senses.

"He made my mother unhappy and she never smiled again, even after he was dead, so hating him is the least I can do for her."

"You don't have to smile when you say that!"

Oh yes he has to, because he never regretted this man's death and he does not mind if the whole country knows it. However that might be a bit too much to grasp for someone like Diederich, still caught up in the notions of honor and obedience, and still able to trace a definite line between good and evil. It has been a long time since Vincent realized that most of his acquaintances knew nothing but lies about him anyway, so why not use lies and smiles to cover even his darkest feelings?

Besides, lying to the whole word is not such a bother once one gets used to it.

Midford gets up at this moment, staring straight up at him before bowing down.

"I thank you for being honest and giving me the answers I needed, Phantomhive. However, I am sorry to hear that your mother lived with such a complicated secret bothering her and I promise not to offense her memory."

"Thank you Midford," is all he says, still not feeling an ounce of remorse and dismissing the younger man's gesture and words with a wave of the hand. However, he does not want to hear any more questions on the subject or see Midford's face, so it is his turn to leave the comfortable armchair, pretending he is quite tired (and that isn't exactly a lie in itself this time). Biding the three others a good night, he just bends down to kiss his sister on the cheek, because he is relieved she is probably safe from Hampton, but she jerks her head away and he does not insist.

Her face gives nothing away but her reject confirms his suspicion, he knows her well after all. Frances is probably currently burning of anger deep inside and he is saddened to think that most of it might be his fault, but he had no choice.

_Yes you had._ That's what Frances' eyes yell from behind his back as he leaves the room, as if trying to bore a hole in his skin. _But you ended up going for the worst way._

Wrong, he did what he _had to_. The future Head of the English Knights is not of a part of the Underworld and there is no need for him to step further in it.

He did what he had to.

Lying to the whole word is not such a bother once one gets used to it and he can't understand why Frances does not agree.

They _were_ raised the same way after all.

* * *

A few minutes pass and Diederich is the next to follow Vincent's example and leave for bed, but not before expressing Alexis Leon Midford all his gratitude for stopping her brother and Hampton, definitely avoiding a few murders and a lot of trouble to cover and explain.

Then it is only the two of them. And an incredibly awkward silence.

_I should thank him._

A hard thing to do when, until now, all Frances could feel for the blond young man was despise. Sparing them more silent minutes of timid glances, he is the one opening his mouth first.

"I hope the prospect of marrying Hampton did not scare you too much, my Lady." However as the soon as the words echo in the room, he flushes, realizing immediately how stupid he probably sounded, when the lady facing him is the sister of the Queen's watchdog and also definitely used to take men twice her size down. "Forgive me, I…" he tries to say, his cheeks still red and looking away from her. It definitely sounds like girls are not his forte, even though he certainly isn't horrendous to look at, and for some reason that makes her smile a little.

Actually Midford is not in the wrong at all, and because of that she has trouble expressing her gratitude. Even for someone like her, the prospect of an unhappy wedding to someone she despised _terrified_ her, because it is against everything she ever learned as her mother's daughter.

The worst to admit still is that she _had _truly considered it for a moment before Diederich went to the blond young man for help. After all, the only thing she was sure of, and still is even now, is that Vincent _can't_ become a cold blooded killer.

Not at any price. Not even for her.

So, would she have rather chosen to marry Hampton to avoid Vincent killing him out of anger? The possibility crossed her mind several times and she had been close to choose the worst option.

Back to Midford, still waiting and almost as red as a cherry, she thinks he might not be a very capable swordsman in her eyes, but he is not afraid of fools like Hampton or her brother and for that she misjudged him. He certainly deserves her respect, especially now that he already has her gratitude.

"Thank you," she finally says and the words are easier to come now. "For my future. And my freedom."

A hesitant but honest smile comes to his lips when he hears her and after that, even his ears turn red. How strange is it to mention the freedom of a woman living in such an era anyway, Frances wonders, but the young man facing her does not seem to find that particularly shocking.

"…It was my pleasure."

God, why must she feel a pang of shame when he answers her? She knows from the look on his face that it is something to take quite literally and it bothers her.  
No matter why Midford saved her for, because Diederich asked him or because he wanted to know about Edith Brodinger, the fact still is that Vincent thanked him with nothing but lies and she feels cheated for him.

_He is becoming everything I was afraid of. And I have no power to stop it. _

It's a terrible realization to make about her brother so late in the evening and while facing the person who just saved her, and she's pained to admit it to herself. It's like everything is spinning out of control.

_Don't cry. Never cry. _She's not that weak and there is still one thing she can do.

From the other side of the room, Midford is still looking at her, in a silence less uncomfortable than before, and she is pushed by the sudden urge to ask who inquired for information on Edith Brodinger's death, who would still care ten years later, but the blond young lord is hesitant to answer.

"Does it matter?"

Maybe it does not really. She likes to think that since Midford promised to make good use of the _lies_ Vincent told him, he actually would.

Can one even make good use of lies in the first place? She could almost laugh; her brother should just stop lying all the time.

Slowly opening her mouth and half-believing she is not going to do what it seems she is, she throws a look at her mother's portrait above the fireplace. Neither she nor her mother ever changes, blond and dark hair, green and dark eyes... It is a shame that this painting wields such a power on Vincent however.

"My brother…" Frances begins, eyes averting Midford's direction at first until she forces herself to look at him, what she is going to say already leaving a sour taste in her mouth… "He lied to you."

And as she sides with someone who's not her brother for the first time, Frances does not know who she does that for. Maybe it is to prove herself she still has power and control over her brother's attitude or because she feels like the man who saved her deserves to know an old secret from ten years ago.

But maybe it simply is for her because she _hates_ that story.

Or is it for her mother?

She does not know. Maybe it is for all these reasons.

"I know."

_Huh?_

Blinking several times in a row, Frances finds herself speechless. Did Midford just say what she thinks he did? But that's not possible, because no one in this manor would have betrayed Vincent before her.

"Wait, how can you…_know_ that?!"

Holding his hands out to immediately stop an eventual conflict, Midford gives her an awkward smile.

"I… had the opportunity to observe your brother closely for an entire year, when he was Blue House's prefect and I know there are a few subjects he does not feel at ease with. Like your parents. So I never expected true answers in the first place."

"Then why did you ask at all last week?!" Frances doesn't believe there has been a time before when she was more confused than now. Does Midford's reasoning even make sense?!

"I had to at least try, I guess?" Midford answers hesitantly. "Actually, I promised someone I would ask. And your brother confirmed me with his attitude that she was indeed dead, which was the only information I was looking for in the first place."

At a loss for words, Frances keeps on staring at the young man facing her. He's definitely more at ease with her now, when herself feels nothing but confusion, even though she basically just admitted that her own brother took him for a fool but he seems very alright with the thought.

"Lady Frances, your mother... Something terrible happened to her, am I right?"

"How would you know?" Frances asks, eyeing him suspiciously, not really sure she wants to tell him the truth anymore, now that he definitely looks cleverer than she thought.

"Well, for what other reasons would a son hate his father so badly and lie all the way for his mother?"

"…"

"Do not worry, I am not looking for you to tell me the details and I am sorry I pried into your family's secrets in the first place, but I hope your brother and you will one day feel better about whatever it is that happened to her. I mean, _now_ that I know your family is burdened with the Watchdog duty, I think I can imagine the traumas your mother went through but I sincerely hope—"

"Edith Brodinger and my father sold my mother to an insane cult that was punishing women for their imaginary sins. Like the old witch hunts."

The young blond man looks utterly dumbfounded when he hears her words and for a few minutes, he keeps on opening and closing his mouth without making a sound, definitely having trouble to find words to voice his shock accurately.

"So," Frances says with a sigh, weary of playing games and of looking out for others with the truth because 'ignorance is bliss', "not exactly what you were expecting, I believe?"

"B-But why?! I mean… why would you mother be sent in this kind of—"

"Because she was in their way, why else? She was not supposed to be able to escape from there in the first place, and my father wanted to live freely with his mistress without his wife getting all the credit for doing his work. He probably had connections to this cult through the Underworld and one night they just… took her away."

"So, when she escaped…" Midford continues with a sad expression, probably already understanding what Frances is going to say.

"Yes," she nods, trying to keep her face expressionless, "My mother killed the two of them."

There. She finally said it and Midford now knows who killed Edith Brodinger and why. Letting out a long sigh, Midford puts his face into his hands for minute and she fights against herself in order not to mimic his gesture.

"Thank you," he finally says after a while, looking straight at her again. "You did not have to. And I am really sorry."

"Well, you did not have to do what you did with Hampton either," Frances says, very seriously. "And what are you even sorry for? It is not like you are the one who gave this idea to Ms. Brodinger or my father."

"I know, I just… It seems like I finally understand many things at the same time and it is both a relief and extremely sad, so I'm still wondering how I should react."

Thinking about what this could mean, Frances raises her eyebrows, feeling pangs of sadness in each heartbeat under her skin. No matter how resolute she was before, this story definitely always hurts both the one saying it and the one listening to it.

This is why she _hates_ it and she wishes Vincent would be over this story as well, so that it stops creeping constantly behind them, as a reminder that their family history will probably never be about happiness.

She is brought back to her senses when Midford asks her a question.

"Lady Frances, do you recall Ms. Brodinger at least a little?" And Frances takes the time to think before answering.

She was four at that time after all but she still remembers the town house and the constant austere expression on the face of the man who condemned her mother, only because he was in love with someone else. As for Edith Brodinger…

"A few servants here once said she used to manhandle us. Me and my brother, I mean. However, we only lived with her for a month and I was young so I don't... remember it personally. My brother does though."

"I see," Midford says with a brief nod, no hint as to what he is feeling about her answer, "thank you. Can I ask something else?"

"What is it?"

"… Do you think your mother— well rather, do you think your father and Ms. Brodinger deserved… what happened to them?"

And the young woman almost scoffs because after what she explained, the answer is really obvious, isn't it? After all, they sent her mother through Hell so it's only fair that they paid for that.

_However what happened afterwards? Mother never smiled again…_

Yes, indeed… Even though she got to avenge herself, in the end she spent the rest of her life working for the Queen and bearing all the many scars this time of her life had left her with.

_Vincent and I couldn't help her, no matter what we did. At the end of her life, she had probably gotten very tired with everything… So tired that she made that one mistake that cost her her life…And her future with us._

Would have things happened differently had Claudia not decided to kill her husband and his mistress? It's impossible to say of course, but sometimes Frances tells herself she would still like to know of the different possible outcomes, because her mother's revenge also had a part to play in keeping her away from her own children.

It's just sad. And unfair.

_Don't cry. Never cry._

"Lady Frances…?"

"I… I don't know. I have been… wondering for a long time but I don't think I will ever find a suitable answer to this question."

"Well, it is not such a bad answer already, in my opinion."

And when she looks at him, she can see that Midford is smiling a very gentle and comforting smile, really similar to his words, and almost making a move to put a his hand over hers before restraining himself. It's so strange and she can barely stop herself from chuckling a little, despite her inner unrest.

"Are you always like that, Midford? So… positive? I just told you my mother killed the woman you were researching about."

"It was my mother who asked me to try finding out what happened to Ms. Brodinger."

"…What?" Once again Frances is not expecting that. What does his mother has to do with Edith Brodinger?

"You see, they were acquainted from a long time ago and I think my mother used to see a friend in her, so when Ms. Brodinger disappeared so suddenly ten years ago, with her lover the previous Earl Phantomhive, my mother tried to find out what happened to her, however…" Midford shakes his head instead of ending his sentence as a way to explain to her that Lady Midford found no hint at all. "So, when I mentioned that I was invited by your brother to… spar with you the other day, your family name reminded her of this case and she asked me to question your brother for eventual answers."

"Did you tell her how this particular day ended?"

"Well, not really, even if she could say something was wrong. I was…" The blond young man's cheeks getting significantly red again, he takes a deep breath before continuing, "I was more distraught by your reject of becoming my fencing teacher actually, so it was easy to make her believe that asking about Ms. Brodinger had slipped my mind."

"Lying to your own mother?" Frances says with a slightly mocking smile, "That's not really nice of you."

"Well, I am bound to lie to her again."

"How so?"

"I don't intend to tell her about the truth you just confided to me. It definitely still is a very important matter for you and your brother and I don't think anyone else should know about it until the two of you settle your own personal issues with it."

"Wait…No, Midford, you do not have to keep it a secret, you already did a lot with Hampton so—"

"Please call me Alexis, you already call Diederich by his first name so that feels unfair, and _yes_ I actually have to and you will not change my mind."

Letting the name part slides, Frances feels slightly worried about his true intentions when she hears the determination in his words.

"…W-what do you mean?"

"What I did with Hampton… I didn't do it because Diederich asked for a favor or because I thought your brother would give me the answers I was looking for. I… I wanted to make sure… that Hampton would stay away from you and that you would be freed of him… as an apology for making you cry when we fought at the fencing tournament, months ago."

"I… what? I didn't—"

"I felt _so bad_ afterwards," Midford adds, without letting her speak and almost sounding angry at himself. "And I still feel bad even now, because I am lacking so much and it ended up hurting you at the tournament. I always wanted to apologize properly and Hampton gave me the perfect opportunity for that tonight," he finishes with a very serious and determined tone, looking straight at her.

Any person hearing a similar speech directed at them would be in awe of such kindness, even if the young man who said all these nice words is currently showing many signs of cute awkwardness, giving away hints of other possible underlying feelings, but that is not how Frances feels about it _at all_.

"What's wrong with you?!"

"I-I'm sorry?" To Midford's credit, nothing could have prepared him to such rebuff from a lady younger than him and to whom he expressed many nice feelings just before, so the confusion on his face can be considered legit.

"I beat you down. _Twice_," Frances clarifies for him, "I called you useless and pathetic in front of an _entire crowd_ and my brother behaved very rudely to you just like he also lied. And yet you're saying you confronted a blackmailer who targeted my family because you wanted to apologize for _losing_ against me in a fencing tournament?! This is… You are _insane_!"

She watches with her arms crossed as Midford's eyes widen under the realization that truly, his way of reasoning is completely backwards, before the young man hides his face behind one of his hand and laughs out loud. It takes him a good minute before he can calm down.

"I… I did make a fool of myself, didn't I?"

"I'd say so, indeed," she answers while still staring at him, unaware of the small smile on her lips and of how unsettling it is for her companion. "However…"

She looks at his reddened face, at his hair slightly in disarray and she realizes that it's the first good evening that she spent with someone who is not her brother or one of the servants. This elicits a new feeling inside her.  
Oh of course, Midford is stupidly awkward and could be a better fighter but it feels like he makes it easier to see the good sides life can bring and she almost forgot that a few moments ago she was telling him about her mother being a murderer. Which is why…

"I… don't dislike that about you," she says to an agape Alexis Midford.

And no one knows what could have happened afterwards, even though Alexis had gotten up and made a step in her direction, if Mrs. Brenda, the governess, hadn't come in hurriedly, just realizing that they had all left their young mistress with a boy of her age in an _empty _room and that it was certainly _not_ proper.

Eventually, the older woman was able to get the future Head Knight to leave but not before Frances agreed to more sparring lessons with another smile on her lips.  
Seeing the happy look in his eyes when he finally left, the young woman went to bed content and peaceful, unaware that this was the start of a new time, possibly of a future that didn't have everything to do with the Phantomhive family.

* * *

Two hours after Midford left however, it's Vincent's turn to occupy the library again even though it's past midnight because he cannot sleep.

"You're not sleeping, Earl~."

A sigh._ Just_ when he thought he would be left in peace for the rest of the night, here comes a troublesome guest.

"I think I might have complimented you on your eyes before, Undertaker, but if I haven't, please do forgive me. It seems your sight is indeed _quite _flawless."

A cackle only answers his failed attempt at biting irony.

"Far from it, far from it actually, Earl~. It's just that you're in the library instead of your room. And that it's _way_ paste bed time~. "

"And yet you are here."

"And yet I'm here."

Vincent doesn't ask how the other man knew he wouldn't be sleeping at this hour because it doesn't matter. The Undertaker is always aware of things he shouldn't know about anyway, and that's not even the strangest part of the personage. For example, the fact he never ages intrigues Vincent much more.

Sitting down in one of the armchairs facing his own, the Undertaker makes himself comfortable before beginning to speak, his usual smile stretching his lips.

"So you didn't get to kill Hampton in the end, huh? And someone else saved your sister for you~."

"Hmm and where were _you_ all this time? Waiting in the shadows where I was supposed to meet with Hampton? Amused by the perspective that I would have still gone against everybody's advice, I suppose?" He doesn't even hold the other man's phosphorescent gaze as he casually throws his way proof of his irritation, his eyes staring into emptiness as if reflecting what he feels deep inside because of the tiring evening.

However, it doesn't stop the mortician from laughing to his face.

"Once again, you are too _far_ from the truth, Earl~. I wonder, where did your capacity of reasoning go during these last two years?"

It's Vincent's turn to chuckle slightly at that but without an ounce of amusement. The situation went too far out of his control for him to casually smile and bicker about it with the older man.

"Easy for you to say, isn't it? After all, you left without a word all these months ago and came back with all the answers, as if ready to play with us once again. Just like you always used to."

"I don't play. I'm merely having fun, and I thought you knew the differences."

"Well, it looks like I don't then," Vincent answers, shaking his head with an annoyed expression. "Especially when the first thing you did once you were back was confirming Hampton was behind all this, without explaining _where_ I had to look in order to protect what is left of my family." Releasing a fake cackle, he adds, "Funny enough, I call that 'playing with lives not belonging to you' and it is definitely _not_ something I enjoy."

"Even though you were ready yourself to end Hampton's life just because he was being stupid and full of himself?"

"It is _not_ the same thing, Undertaker. Killing does not amuse me at all!"

"Killing might not sound fun to you but manipulating and using others makes you smile, Earl~. _That _you cannot deny…"

"_For_ _God's sake_, you are one to talk! Isn't manipulation_ all_ you are able of? Me, my mother—"

"One thing," the mortician cuts him, raising a finger with a long black nail, "I _never_ manipulated your mother. There was no need~, after all she was better at admitting being wrong than _you _are."

"What do you even know about me? You left for _two years _and I have changed! Don't believe you can see through me, because you _cannot_. Not anymore."

"I know you well enough, Earl. Which is why—"

"Well, I am afraid you are wrong! I am no longer a boy hiding behind his mother's skirt, not that I believe I ever hid from anything in the first place."

"…I am the one who told Eric Hampton about you being the Queen's watchdog."

"Can you even admit being wrong about people yourself? Of course not—Wait…_What_?!"

"Well~ the blackmail idea wasn't _mine_ but I'm the one who told him— Well actually, I should say that I _gave_ him the information for free."

A long silence follows the Undertaker's words and none of them break it until Vincent, dumbfounded, lets out a long breath he didn't realize he was holding.

"… Tell me you are jesting. You are, right? Because if it is the truth, then…"

"Oh? Heheh, then **what**~?"

The older man doesn't look unfazed at all by what he just said, as if he just basically told him the forecast for the following day. As if not believing Vincent's wrath would fall upon him for creating such a dire situation, which almost cost the young earl half his sanity and his sister's complete trust.

"_God help me_, I am going to _throw_ you out of my house!"

"Well you can try~, of course Earl, but I doubt you'll succeed in making me move unless I want to."

"Do you even…_realize _that you put me, my sister and the people living here all in danger? And for what?! Fun, laughter? How does Hampton even know you?! Or did you actually go to him? You… are _fucked_ up."

"Hehe, insulting me isn't going to make me talk you know~? Besides, I already gave you hints about why I 'put you all in danger'…!" The Undertaker says with a mocking tone, air-quoting the last part of his sentence.

"I don't think any excuses you will come up with will be sufficient enough—"

"Oh no? Not even if I say that 'two years I'm gone and the Earl's ego is the biggest I've ever seen'…?"

This sentence… Vincent remembers that it's a part of their conversation three days ago, when he exposed his plan to shut Hampton up at breakfast. Could this be it? Could it be that the reason the mortician went past his authority was only to mess with him because of '_ego_'?  
Never pass anything by the Undertaker, of course, that's something he learnt by heart, but still… This is not even a case of betrayal at this point, but more like a senseless conspiracy the older man thought up in order _to teach him a basic lesson_. And it's a thought Vincent can't stomach.

"You don't get it, do you, Earl?"

No, he certainly doesn't. He is a grown up man for Pete's sake, and what was the point of all this, besides making him go paranoid and scared of losing more of the last people he cares about?

"Explain yourself," he says, the thought that he never ordered the mortician before not even coming to his mind.

The Undertaker probably noticed though, but he barely raises his eyebrows and instead smiles more widely.

"Wouldn't you say power is a terrifying thing?"

"I don't have the patience to hear you speaking about senseless philosophical concepts right now."

"I'm barely stating a fact, Earl, you wound me."

"I don't care. _Why_ did you start all this?" And for a moment, he fears the Undertaker won't answer. Knowing his luck for the past week, it seems believable that Vincent will once again not understand why everything is spinning out of his control and by the action of just one mad mortician. It's making him crazy.

However, the older man ends up probably taking pity on him and allows him to hear a part of his relatively "simple" explanation.

"Your inheritance, what your mother left you… It's all about that job of yours, Earl. There is nothing in your life that isn't bound to your duty as the Queen's watchdog."

"And you wanted to teach me a lesson because I ended up acting as my mother's heir?"

"No to the two questions~. I only wanted to make you realize that you are just a pawn like many others."

"You're not making sense, Undertaker. Not that it's unusual."

"Being the watchdog of this boring Queen is nothing to be proud of, Earl. You are as disposable as Hampton or any others who might come in your way in a few years, and I had to make you realize that… Because you're an idiot if you think the collar you put around your neck and take power from will forbid people other than your Queen to strangle you with it."

"I still don't get it."

"Heheh, it took me only a few words almost _without a single concrete proof_ for Eric Hampton to be manipulated into thinking he could take advantage of you and he is only a _little_ fish in the big ocean of the Queen's enemies~. I wanted to see how you would deal with the kind of problems people like Hampton are."

"And I disappointed you," Vincent concludes, a part of him still unsure of what it all meant and if he should still be angry at his mother's old friend.

"Well, I wasn't expecting you to succeed in the first place~, and that is why I used Hampton. I even thought that, since he was someone you were previously acquainted with, you would have more conscience dealing with him, but I was wrong indeed~."

Vincent rubs his eyes tiredly when he hears that, trying to avoid the headache he can already feel coming. It feels like it's way too late to have this kind of irrational discussion about the differences between good and bad, besides the inner turmoil he hasn't been able to shut down. His thoughts are a mess too and he releases several breaths in a row to try calming himself.

"So… were you testing me?" He asks, half unsure that he actually wants to continue this conversation.

"No, it was more like I wanted to confirm my growing suspicions."

"About _what_?"

"About the current Earl Phantomhive being unable to support the weight of his dog collar~."

Hearing that, Vincent narrows his eyes, feeling way past offended.

"Well, why don't you try and take my place? Now _this_ could be fun," he almost spits back, probably pulling off the same angry face as his little sister.

"You're missing the point, so stop acting like a child~. I told you earlier, all you have is your big ego because all your life is about is your duty to the Queen."

"And this is apparently a bad thing because…?"

"Because in your family's case, life is about _surviving_, Earl~. That collar isn't your strength, it's your downfall and you should fight _agains_t it, instead of succumbing under what it represents."

"I _am_ trying to survive, and yet _you_ are the one who goes telling people about something that could threaten my family's survival that you seem to care so much about! This makes _no_ damn sense!"

"If you had killed Hampton, the consequences of your actions would have brought more trouble than leaving him alive will."

"I am afraid I wasn't born with precognitive powers similar to yours, so I merely wanted to do as I thought was best."

"Heheheheh… Even when everybody else disagreed~?"

Vincent stays silent at that, the fact he indeed didn't listen to Diederich or Frances not helping him against the mortician.

"Earl, you're young and you still have all your strength and sanity, but what about in a few years? Will you be able to go against the entire world if needs be, because _you think_ that is what your life is about?"

"…"

"I thought so~."

Leaning back completely in his armchair, the Undertaker stares at him with a vaguely expectative expression on his face but Vincent soon breaks eye contact to look at his mother's portrait over the fireplace.  
This feels like he has lived that scene before. Two years ago exactly, when he couldn't understand why his mother had decided to stop asking for his help in her investigations.

_'__You were enjoying it too much…Like I used to when I was younger. And it stops being so amusing at one point.'_

"Let us be clear, I find no enjoyment in my duty to the Queen."

"And yet you're letting it more and more destroy you with each case you're solving."

"Did you have to make my mother realize this too? Or am I the only clueless one?"

"I'm afraid this will hurt your feelings Earl~, but your mother understood on her own what position to take in order to live a better life, especially after what the previous Earl Phantomhive did to her. However, she was older and had her children's wellbeing to think about, which definitely was a motivating factor~."

"I seem to remember that she said she used to enjoy it too…"

"She enjoyed the power this position gave her over the man she despised the most, it's not exactly the same thing~. Heheh, she definitely _was_ a complicated woman though~!"

"I do not share your opinion on this subject."

"Oh, one day you will~."

The last sentence is so unexpectedly serious that Vincent's eyebrows rise up in surprise. It's not like the mortician at all to mention anything related to his mother in the first place, even when she was still alive. He would always avoid speaking of her or making his opinion about her actions known to her children and he would always remain an observer in anything related to Claudia.  
And Vincent is not sure he should point that out, just for the heck of it and because he wouldn't mind having the last word on one part of tonight's discussion, but something looks off in the eyes of the man facing him so he doesn't.

Once again, the silence that settled doesn't last very long because it seems the Undertaker _really_ is in a talkative mood.

"You're more like your father than I thought you'd ever be actually you know~? Watching you from afar like I did, I kept thinking you would be a copy of your mother because you probably signed for a similar fate the day you put that collar around your neck..."

"… "

"However right now you remind me of him."

"…"

"One day… he _slipped_ you know~? Because he felt like he had not enough choices to satisfy him. Seemingly, misery was everywhere to him and he ended up falling into what seemed to be a never-ending abyss." Laughing to himself, the mortician adds out loud, "Until he reached the bottom that is~! And that's what provoked his death and sealed his fate. "

"And who are we talking about here exactly? My mother's husband…? Or my _real _father?"

This time it's the mortician who stays silent as Vincent's eyes stare straight into his phosphorescent ones, no amused or surprised glint in his gaze that could give away whatever he's thinking. And Vincent chuckles at this, because he remembers the day he thought hiding his feelings behind smiles felt like a good idea.

"You are not even going to deny this, are you?" He asks, a deliberate smile dancing on his lips, the first one since the discussion started.

"…"

"I don't care anyway. It has been too long since I noticed.

"…"

"By the way, Frances probably knows too."

"And what? Am I supposed to give an actual answer to this? Is it what you're expecting of me, Earl?"

"Well, you sounded so knowledgeable so far tonight that it is really up to your decision."

However the Undertaker only lets out a sigh. He suddenly looks older for some reason, even though it's the same face Vincent has known for over ten years. So it seems even the mortician has trouble talking about some parts of his life then? Good, at least Vincent feels less stupid about himself now.

The young man remembers how he always wanted for this part of the discussion to happen since the day he found out, at some point during these last two years, and would he be less tired, he would probably dare asking for the complete truth but he is not even sure he wants it anymore.

Some things are better left unsaid or unexplained. For everybody's sake.

"So what is it that you want? What was the real purpose behind the set up with Hampton? Making me realize I could fail or screw up? Or that I was bound to, no matter what I would try?"

"Not really, Earl. I just wanted to make you realize... that you're just a _miserable_ little human being. It's not about success or failure, it's about accepting that you're one man amongst many others. That is all."

"It is a pretty depressing conclusion. What happened to that fun you love so much? Isn't it better to watch me fail so you can get a good laugh out of it?"

"And where is the fun if you die and I'm left without someone to laugh at? Tell me~."

Letting out a snort, Vincent resists the urge to throw his fist in the mortician's face but at the same time, he feels like laughing himself.

"I can't forgive you for involving Frances like that."

"I know and you shouldn't worry too much, Earl, she will forgive you eventually."

"Well, I certainly know whose name to mention in case she doesn't."

"Heheh, not that your sister scares me~."

It suddenly feels like they're running out of things to say since both know the other isn't one for meaningless talk and the Undertaker stands up soon after, stretching a little and putting back his strange hat that he dropped when he first sat.

Vincent wonders about whether or not to advise him not to come to the manor for a while. Even if things more or less settled, he still feels cheated and confused about what position to take about his own life, and having the Undertaker out of his sight for a few weeks or months doesn't sound like a bad idea.

Besides the man was able to leave them behind for two years without Vincent having a thing to say in the matter, so it feels fair. Especially after tonight's revelations.

"I believe I should go, Earl. Thank you for the _tremendous_ time spent in your library. We should do it more often~!"

The urge to answer 'no thanks' almost burns Vincent's tongue but that would be playing the mortician's little game and he's taking a break from games for at least a little while, starting now. So in the end, all he says is…

"What are you?"

… Effectively stopping the Undertaker in his steps before he could leave for the night.

"A _ghost_? An immortal man? I am running out of ideas and I would say you owe me at least that answer instead of the lie you said the second time we met, over ten years ago."

'Owe' was maybe not the word he should have used and it's a weird feeling he experiences as soon as he asks that godforsaken question, two phosphorescent eyes staring straight through him, seemingly judging the core of his entire being dead-seriously.

Then the feeling vanishes, as suddenly as it came, and the Undertaker smiles one last time.

"_What am I_? You found out the very first time we met or don't you remember?"

"…"

"I'm 'Death' ~, Earl. That's all there is to it."

And as soon as the words echo in the room the older man disappears, leaving Vincent very much alone in his favorite room of the manor in the middle of the night.

_Hahah… So it seems children's innocent eyes can always see the truth indeed… _is the first thought that comes to him and he feels very stupid.

He's far from being an innocent child however and yet he still thinks he saw a flash of sadness quickly passing through the phosphorescent eyes of the man who will outlive them all, just before he left.

_Must have been my imagination…_

Or was it really?

He can't say and he doesn't even know if he really cares about the answer because going to sleep definitely sounds like a much better idea for the moment.

So he does just that and leaves all the rest for another day of endless musing.

He is young anyway, so he has the time.

…Probably all the rest of his life.

* * *

The light warm wind of the morning two days after definitely feels like summer is finally truly there, even though it is already mid August, and they can surely expect a nice day.

The gardens are barely yet lit by the sun but the scent of the flowers makes up for it as the siblings walk side by side along the grass, just like a long time ago, when they were still children clutching onto their mother. Vincent would always be walking in front while Frances would rather stay next or behind their mother, the three of them enjoying small talks or plain silence in the middle of the flourishing garden.

And today it feels like they are back at that time, except their mother has long been gone and buried.

"You told Midford the truth, did you not?"

"…"

"I cannot blame you for that, even if I was very surprised at first."

"I needed to free this part of myself that I hid since Mother's death, and someone needed to disobey you."

"You actually rather like Midford, don't you?"

"… I do not believe this is any of your business. Anyway, I failed at making you understand what I thought you were lacking. However… it looks someone else finally managed to pound some sense into you."

"Yes, it looks like it. As you said, I think I needed someone really mad enough to make me realize that I was missing the whole point about my life."

"He is good at that, isn't he? Maybe that is why Mother loved him so much…"

"No, I don't think that is why she loved him at all. I believe it goes beyond that. Maybe they were too similar by being so broken and that is why they were able to fix each other…"

"… Perhaps, it is that indeed."

"Fanny… We are just humans, aren't we? No matter if I lie and kill, or if my life is to be used by the Queen, nothing will ever change that, right? Do you think Mother knew that?"

"It took you so long to get it, huh? But yes, I think Mother knew all that and that is why she took on her husband's duty when he failed at accepting his fate. She never really blamed him for his decisions, until he tried to get rid of her."

"…I think I always thought that, because our family is cursed with this duty, we were more than just humans to accept and live this life, but I was wrong. We might even be the _lowest_ of the low."

"It feels refreshing, does it not? To fall from your pedestal."

"I am not sure… However I think I finally found what I have to do."

"And that is…?"

"To try and become a normal person. If I can't escape my condition of simple human, I just have to fully live as myself. Which means you can stop worrying for me now."

"Vincent, as much as I am happy you finally understand the way things are, I still am your sister… I will _always_ worry for you."

"Heh… Really? Then do me a favor."

"What?"

"Even if, or rather _when_ you leave the manor one day, do often come back. To see me. Promise me we will never gradually fall apart to become only distinct relatives."

"You actually do not want me to stop worrying for you at all, do you?"

"I definitely can't answer that, but I know I will never stop worrying for you as well. So, now that you know that, do you consent to what I just asked?"

"Oh for goodness' sake, do you imagine me answering 'no' to that?! Of course I promise! I swear, sometimes you are so infuriating…"

"Oh if that's only sometimes, then it is fine."

"Vincent…"

"I am just joking, little sister. By the way, do you know what we should do today?"

"What is with this change of subject? And no?"

"Diederich is leaving soon, so I was thinking we should go hunting. Just so that we are sure he is actually good with a gun before he joins the army."

"… It is the best idea you have had for a long time, but I think you are underestimating your friend."

"Hahah, with you as his teacher, I'm sure I am..."

…

Well, who would have thought today could start so pleasantly?

And yet they knew.

With everything being taken care of, all that was left behind is a simple feeling of relief.

Everything can be fine from now on and that is the only thought that matters.

* * *

…

A grave resides amongst many others in the mortuary garden.

He doesn't know who placed roses in front of it, probably the boy now that he thinks about it (he's more for symbolism than his sister), but he likes the sight. She always used to wear roses whenever she would go out.

"Your people still miss you."

He doesn't include himself because he's not one of them. After all, dead is dead and not alive…

**.**

_"You have no heartbeat…"_

_"Didn't I tell you I was dead~? I thought someone like you would understand the meaning behind these words. Or did I overestimate you?"_

_"It is one thing to know about it and another _not _to feel it right under my hand!" _

_"Why? Is it really so different not to feel any beat against your palm?"_

_She raises her eyebrows in an elegant way, that's how she mocks him, and takes his hand, placing it right against her own chest. _

_"You tell me. What do you prefer against your fingers? The sound or the silence?"_

_"The silence, of course~. After all, I _am_ an Undertaker." _

_A smile. She looks _so _young and he wonders how many know how deadly she is the way he does or how fast his heart would beat if it still could. _

_She stares at him triumphantly; his eyes always reveal too much when it comes to her. _

_"An informant should not lie. Not with the price I pay you."_

**.**

**.**

… Ah.

One day her record will stop being enough to palliate the emptiness.

"Did you love me, Claudia?" He wonders out loud, sitting on the grave as if it is his rightful place (and maybe it is), "…To this day, I still have no idea~."

Children aren't always an evidence of love after all.

"Did I love you…?"

A silence.

She's been dead and buried for two years now. What's two years to death? Not even a second worth mentioning.

… And also a million of lives starting and ending, like the one he once threw away.

He smiles.

"Heheheh, there is _no_ way."

.

.

.

Did she ever know? A smile is sometimes still the biggest lie.

* * *

_T__hank you for reading so far and for sticking with me until the very end, it's the first time I finish a multi-chaptered story, so it really means a lot to me. :D Thank you also for the great reviews you took the time to write (anon mode on or not)! :3_

_This story is dedicated to all the fellows who love the Phantomhives as much as I do. To this day, we still don't know what the Undertaker and Claudia mean to each other, so this story might end up being deleted/rewritten according to what Yana will reveal, but I hope you still liked those little parts with them. ^_^_

_Until next time maybe, with another story! :3_

_PS: Were you able to guess in advance the identity of the one who manipulated everybody with Hampton since the last chapter? It's just so I know. _


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